7KHDWUH ,QWURGXFWLRQWR7KHDWUH -- Instructor: Mr. Larry Wild -- -- Winter - Spring 2004 -- 6\OODEXV [7X7K6HFWLRQ (3') file) ] [0:)6HFWLRQ (3') file) ] [,QWHUQHW6HFWLRQ]
6DPSOHH[DPTXHVWLRQV [First Quiz] [Second Quiz] [Third Quiz] [Final Quiz]
6XSSOHPHQWDO,QVWUXFWLRQ Thursday at 8pm MJ 307 [/HFWXUH1RWHV] [8SFRPLQJ$UHD3URGXFWLRQV] [/LQNV]
Instructor: Larry Wild, Assistant Professor of Theatre Office: JFAC 124A Phone: 626-2513 Office Hours: 2pm to 3pm, Monday through Friday RU by appointment E-mail address: [email protected] Home Page: http://www.northern.edu/wild/index.htm
Course objective: To provide the student with the fundamental knowledge of the development of western drama and the techniques of the theatrical arts of acting, directing and design.
Texts:
7H[W 7KHDWHU 7KH/LYHO\$UW by Edwin Wilson and Alvin Goldfarb. (Boston: McGraw-Hill College), 4th ed., 2002.
3OD\V 7KH7DPLQJRIWKH6KUHZ by William Shakespeare $'ROO V+RXVH by Henrik Ibsen Both plays are available at the Book Store, the Library or on the InterNet
Supplemental material: /HFWXUH*XLGHWR,QWURGXFWLRQWR7KHDWUH by Larry Wild (Aberdeen, SD: NSU Bookstore, 2002).
Expectations: In addition to DWWHQGLQJFODVV, each student is expected to...
1. $WWHQGDQGUHYLHZ one live theatrical productions DQG work four hours in the scene or costume shop, 25... 2. $WWHQGDQGUHYLHZ one live theatrical production DQGwrite a short (2 to 4 pages) essay on HLWKHU 7KH7DPLQJRIWKH6KUHZ by William Shakespeare or $'ROO V +RXVH by Henrik Ibsen Your paper should include... 1. A brief plot summary and answers to the following six questions... 2. What was the playwright attempting to say? 3. What "mood" did the play create? 4. Which scene stood out most clearly? 5. Which character was most memorable? 6. Which characters, if any, were difficult to understand? 7. Do you think this play would attract a modern audience?
'UDPD(VVD\VDUHGXH)ULGD\$SULO 25...
3. Actively participate as performer or crew in $'ROO V+RXVH or 7KH*X\V.
After attending a performance the student should write a short review (approximately one page) answering the following two questions:
1. Which character did you find most memorable? 2. What was the most "enjoyable" moment in the show?
3OD\5HYLHZV (with programs attached) are due the week following the performance. Late papers (5HYLHZV and 'UDPD(VVD\V) will receive reduced credit. 1RSDSHUVZLOOEHDFFHSWHGDIWHU)ULGD\$SULO
Grading: The class grade is determined through a point system. Points are earned on the four exams, the outside activities (play attendance, lab work, essays) and attendance. The following scale will be used to determine grades: 93% of the WRSVFRUH will be an A; 92 to 85%, a B; 84 to 75%, a C; 74 to 65%, a D; below 65% will be an F. Attendance Policy: Attendance is taken during class lectures. A student will earn one (1) point for each 6LJQ,Q sheet he/she signs, and one half (1/2) point for each excused absence. It is the student's responsibility to notify me in ZULWLQJ of all excused absences.
Make-up Exams: 0DNHXS([DPV will contain mini-essay, and short answer questions, not the true/false or multiple-choice questions used during the regular class exams. Make-up exams may be scheduled anytime before the end of the term.
Disability Policy: If you have a physical, psychiatric/emotional, medical or learning disability that may impact on your ability to carry out assigned course work, I urge you to contact the staff in the 2IILFHRI'LVDELOLW\6HUYLFHV (ODS), (Karen Gerety, Coordinator), Student Center 217, 626-2371. The staff will review your concerns and determine, with you, what accommodations are necessary and appropriate. All information and documentation of disability is confidential.
Upcoming Area Productions
x 6RXWK'DNRWD+LJK6FKRRO2QH$FW3OD\)HVWLYDO Presented by the SDHAA Thursday, February 5 through Saturday, February 7. Link to the 6WDWH2QH$FW3OD\6FKHGXOH (a 3') document) x $'ROO V+RXVH by Henrik Ibsen, Adapted by Frank McGuinness Presented by the NSU Theatre Wednesday, February 18, through Saturday, Februrary 21 at 7:30 pm. x 0\:D\$0XVLFDO7ULEXWHWR)UDQN6LQDWUD Presented by the Aberdeen Community Theatre Wednesday, March 10, through Saturday, March 13 at 7:30 pm. Saturday, March 13 at 2:00pm x 7KH*X\V by Anne Nelson Presented by the NSU Theatre Wednesday, April 14, through Saturday, April 17 at 7:30 pm.
Lecture Notes
,QWURGXFWLRQ 1. Theatre and the Internet 2. Experiencing Theatre 3. Audiences and Critics 4. Stage Performers 5. The Director and the Producer 6. Theatre Spaces 7. Designers: Scenery and Costumes 8. Designers: Lighting and Sound )LUVW/LWWOH4XL] 9. The Playwright: Subject, Focus, Purpose, and Dramatic Structure 10. The Text: Dramatic Genres 11. Playwriting: The Process 12. Film History 13. Film Production 14. Radio: History and Production 15. Television: History and Production 6HFRQGOLWWOH4XL] 16. Greek and Roman Theatre 17. Medieval Theatre 18. Renaissance Theatre: Italy 19. Renaissance Theatre: England 20. Renaissance Theatre: France 7KLUGOLWWOH4XL] 21. Theatre from 1660 to 1875: Restoration and 18th Century 22. Theatre from 1660 to 1875: Nineteenth Century 23. Modern Theatre: 1875 to 1945 24. Modern Theatre: 1945 to 1990: The Drama 25. Modern Theatre: 1945 to 1990: The American Musical )RXUWK DQG)LQDO &RPSUHKHQVLYH4XL]
Links
7KHDWUHDQG'UDPD
x 3OD\ELOO2Q/LQH A searchable listing of shows playing in New York, both on and off Broadway. x Q\WKHDWUHFRP The internet source for the New York Theatre scene x 7KH/RQGRQ7KHDWUH*XLGH2Q/LQH Answers the question: What's playing in London? x 6KDNHVSHDUH V*OREH5HVHDUFK'DWD%DVH A site dedicated to providing background information on Shakespearean performance in original conditions x 7KH:::9LUWXDO/LEUDU\7KHDWUHDQG'UDPD The Theatre and Drama section of the :RUOG:LGH:HE9LUWXDO/LEUDU\ x .HQ0F&R\ V%ULHI*XLGHWR,QWHUQHW5HVRXUFHVLQ7KHDWUHDQG3HUIRUPDQFH 6WXGLHV One of the most complete list of links to theatre web sites. x 7KH&RPSOHWH:RUNVRI:LOOLDP6KDNHVSHDUH The title says it all.
)LOPDQG7HOHYLVLRQ
x 0RYLH:HE+RPH3DJH Links to Web Pages (and statistics) for movies released during the past three years. x 0RYLHV7RS%R[RIILFH:LQQHUVRIWKH3DVW:HHNHQG The title says it all. Updated every Thursday. x 7KH,QWHUQHW0RYLH'DWDEDVH A searchable index with more information on movies and the pople who make them, than you could possibly ever use. x $%&_&%6_1%&_)2;_3%6 Links to the four commercial and one non-commercial American broadcast networks. x .(/2&KDQQHO_.'/7&KDQQHO_.6)<&KDQQHO_6'3XEOLF %URDGFDVWLQJ Links to local broadcasters.
6HDUFK(QJLQHV
x *RRJOH&RP Search 2,469,940,685 web pages. x $OWD9LVWD One of the fastest and most complete internet search engine. x *RRJOH*URXSV The source for almost spam-free Internet Discussion Groups. Browse or search the UHFDUWVWKHDWUH Discussion Groups... o UHFDUWVWKHDWUH o UHFDUWVWKHDWUHSOD\V o UHFDUWVWKHDWUHPXVLFDOV o UHFDUWVWKHDWUHVWDJHFUDIW o UHFDUWVWKHDWUHPLVF
[/DUU\:LOG'HVLJQHU7'] [1RUWKHUQ6WDWH8QLYHUVLW\+RPH3DJH]
E-mail questions and comments to Larry Wild at [email protected]. Last updated: March 13, 2004 Copyright © 1997-2004 by Larry Wild, Northern State University, Aberdeen, SD
7KHDWUHDQGWKH,QWHUQHW 5HVRXUFHV
,QWHUQHW McCoy's Brief Guide to InterNet Resources in Theatre and Performance Studies Evaluating Internet Sources PASS - An educator's tool for web evaluation
The ,QWHUQHW, a ZRUOGZLGHQHWZRUNRIFRPSXWHUV, has become a major source of information for both the theatre professional (playwright, director, actor, designer) and the potential theatre audience.
:KDWLVWKHGLIIHUHQFHEHWZHHQWKH:RUOG:LGH:HE :::
The :RUOG:LGH:HE is a +\SHU7H[WLQIRUPDWLRQUHWULHYDOV\VWHP. Web Pages are published on servers (computers) which can be accessed by a browser (such as 1HWVFDSH or 0LFUR6RIW,QWHUQHW([SORUHU) from anywhere in the world. In the entertainment industry, most Web Pages are published either by the DGYHUWLVLQJGHSDUWPHQW of the producing organization (an official page) or by a IDQ who is in love with the show or with one of the stars (a fan page).
'LVFXVVLRQ*URXSVDQGDQ
'LVVFXVVLRQ*URXSV, originally called 8VHQHW1HZV*URXSV, are organized around specific topics. Posting to these groups (also known as )RUXPV) can be read with a NewsReader if your internet service provider (ISP) provides a news feed, or through groups.Google.com, a Web based service which can retrieve articles posted to more than 40,000 news groups. There are four theatre forums under the UHFDUWVWKHDWUH classification.
x UHFDUWVWKHDWUHSOD\V - Dramaturgy and discussion of plays. x UHFDUWVWKHDWUHPXVLFDOV - Musical theatre around the world. x UHFDUWVWKHDWUHVWDJHFUDIW - Issues in stagecraft and production. x UHFDUWVWKHDWUHPLVF - Miscellaneous topics and issues in theatre.
Unlike the World Wide Web, Discussion Groups and E-mail lists are text only services. You can ask questions, make comments, but you can not post pictures or drawings.
(PDLOOLVW" An (0DLOOLVW, often called a OLVWVHUYH, is similar to a discussion group. Unlike the UHFDUWVWKHDWUH forums which can be read by anyone with access to the Internet, an article posted to an e-mail list can only be read by members of that list. After subscribing, comments and questions E-mailed to the list are forwarded to all of the list's members.
A list can either be PRGHUDWHG or XQPRGHUDWHG. In a moderated list, all posts must first be approved by the moderator (or owner) before they will be forwarded. In an unmoderated list, the forwarding is done automatically by the listserve software.
Each list has two E-mail addresses. One which handles the administrative functions such as "Subscribe" and "Sign Off" and a second which receives and forwards the members questions and comments. A directory of theatre related mailing lists is included in McCoy's Brief Guide to InterNet Resources in Theatre and Performance Studies.
I subscribe to two-- a general list (Theatre) and a technical list (StageCraft).
x Members of the 7KHDWUH0DLOLQJ/LVW, which was begun by Theodore Soldatos at the University of Crete, are primarily playwrights, actors and directors. Many (but probably not most) are either professors are students at educational institutions. o To MRLQ the Theatre list, send a blank email message to:
o To SRVW a message to THEATRE, send it to:
x The 6WDJH&UDIW0DLOLQJ/LVW is for the discussion of all aspects of theatrical production: scenery, costumes, lights, props, sound and special effects. The over 1400 subscribers include theatre professionals, vendors, teachers, and students. Go to http://www.theprices.net/lists/stagecraft/ for more information and a searchable archive. o To MRLQ the StageCraft list, send a blank email message to: [email protected]
o To SRVW a message to StageCraft, send it to: [email protected]
x During the academic year, both lists handle a large amount of traffic. It is not unusual to receive 50 messages a day from 6WDJH&UDIW. Material covered ranges from the profound to the dumb. Most of the material winds up in my computer's 5H&\FOH%LQ. Some of the posts I read in class and others appear (with credit) on the ,QWUR:HE3DJHV.
+RZGR,GLVFRYHUZKDWVKRZVDUHSOD\LQJLQ1HZ Two Web Pages, 3OD\ELOO2Q/LQH (www.playbill.com) and Q\WKHDWUHFRP (nytheatre.com) publish theatre listings for both Broadway and Off- Broadway houses. Playbill On-Line (www.playbill.com) also carries information on American regional theatres, national tours, and summer stock companies. ,ZDQWWRILQGRXWPRUHLQIRUPDWLRQDERXW+HQULN,EVHQZKHUHGR,VWDUW" Start by going to the library. A quick "Keyword" search of Northern State University's Williams Library brought up a list of 54 titles. Next I would go to the Web and type "Henrik Ibsen" (in quotation marks) into the search box of one of the many search engines. :KLFKVHDUFKHQJLQHVKRXOG,XVH" I would start with *RRJOH (www.google.com) and follow up with $OWD9LVWD (www.altavista.com), one of "the most powerful and useful guide(s) to the Net." Using two different search engines will give a more complete list of sites. Since each engine has it's own ranking criteria and site index, the links, and their order, will not be the same. A *RRJOH search on "Henrik Ibsen," (Google Results: Henrik Ibsen) yielded 79,900 hits. An $OWD9LVWD search on "Henrik Ibsen," ( AltaVista Results: Henrik Ibsen) yielded 23,894 hits. The server compiled a link-list of 200 Web pages. :K\GR,QHHGWRHQFORVHWKHSOD\ZULJKW VQDPHLQTXRWDWLRQPDUNV" Normally, when the .H\:RUG is a phrase such as the QDPH of a playwright, actor or designer; or the WLWOH of a play, film, opera or ballet, that phrase is enclosed in quotation marks. Depending on the search engine, the use of quotation marks can create a more manageable, and accurate, list of links. For more information on search techniques, link to the +HOS:HE3DJHV provided by each search engine. :KHUHFDQ,UHVHDUFKVFUHHQZULWHUVILOPDFWRUVDQGPRYLHWLWOHV" The ,QWHUQHW0RYLH'DWDEDVH (us.imdb.com) has information on over 200,000 film and television titles, 400,000 screen actors and 40,000 movie directors. This site will answer... x Who wrote the screen play for *RQH:LWKWKH:LQG? x In how many films was James (or Jimmy) Stewart cast? x What was Orson Welles first directorial assignment? A similar site, the ,QWHUQHW%URDGZD\'DWDEDVH (www.ibdb.com), has been developed by the League of American Theatres and Producers, the offical voice of the New York Broadway Theatre. The database can be searched by... x Show WLWOH, (+HOOR'ROO\), x 1DPH of an actor -- producer, director, playwright, designer... (Carol Channing), or x A specific %URDGZD\WKHDWUH (St. James Theatre). :KDWLVDQRIILFLDOVLWH" An RIILFLDO site is usually developed and published by the owner of the property. Many Broadway musicals as well as most films produced within the last five years have an official Web site. The URL is usually ZZZWLWOHRIVKRZFRP. $QXQRIILFLDOIDQVLWH" An unofficial IDQ site is a personal Web Page developed by a fan who has no official connection with the production. There is only one official Web site for James Cameron's 1997 Academy Award winning 7LWDQLF-- www.titanicmovie.com, there are countless unofficial 7LWDQLF Web Pages. For many older works-- films, radio and early television programs --there are no official sites and their only Web presence are fan pages. +RZGR,HYDOXDWHWKHLQIRUPDWLRQ,ORFDWHRQWKH:HE" Check the SXUSRVH of the site, the DXWKRULW\ of the author, the VFRSH of the material and the SURIHVVLRQDOLVP of the selected Web Page. For more information link to Evaluating Internet Sources and/or PASS - An educator's tool for web evaluation at Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota. x What is theSXUSRVH of the Web site? o Why was it developed? o Look at the domain name. Is it a commercial ( FRP), educational ( HGX) or non-profit organizational ( RUJ) site? o Is it an "official" or an unofficial "fan" page? o Is there advertising? If so, what are they trying to sell? x What is the DXWKRULW\ of the author? o Who created the Web page? o What are their credentials? o What other articles have they published in magazines, journals, books, or other web sites. x What is the VFRSH of the material? o What information is covered? o Who is the intended audience? o Do links to other Web Pages expand the scope of the work? x Does the page look SURIHVVLRQDO? o How is the material presented? o Is it appropriate for the intended audience? o Can the information be verified from other sources? o Do the links work? o When was this page last updated? Theatre Home Page E-mail questions and comments to Larry Wild at [email protected]. Last updated: September 3, 2003 © 1999-2003 by Larry Wild, Northern State University, Aberdeen, SD 57401 ([SHULHQFLQJ7KHDWUH 5HVRXUFHV 7H[W Wilson and Goldfarb. 7KHDWHU 7KH/LYHO\$UW, 4th edition: Introduction, pages 1 through 14. ,QWRGD\ VZRUOGZKDWLVWKHSULPDU\GLIIHUHQFHEHWZHHQGUDPDDQGWKHDWUH" 'UDPD is the script or text. 7KHDWUH is either (1) the place of performance or (2) the performance of a dramatic work. As one writer put it, drama is on the page and theatre is on the stage. :KDWLVWKHRULJLQDOVRXUFHODQJXDJHRIWKHVHWZRWHUPV" Greek. :KDWLVWKHURXJK(QJOLVKWUDQVODWLRQRIWKHWZRVRXUFHWHUPV" 7KHDWUH: To see. 'UDPD: To do. ,VWKHUHDGLIIHUHQFHEHVLGHVWKHVSHOOLQJEHWZHHQWKHDWUHDQGWKHDWHU" 1R 7KHDWUH is the British spelling and WKHDWHU is the American spelling. In the 1830's, Noah Webster, of dictionary fame, created an American spelling for a number of British words. &RORXU became color, FHQWUH became center, andWKHDWUH became theater. Most of those in the acting profession, many of whom were originally British, continued to use the UH spelling. Today, both spellings are used in the United States. Those in the profession still generally use the UH spelling, the rest of America uses the HU spelling. Wilson and Goldfarb chose the HU spelling for 7KHDWHU 7KH/LYHO\$UW because it is "less formal." :KRZDV$ULVWRWOH" Aristotle (384-322 BC) was an ancient Greek theorist who in 7KH 3RHWLFV (335 BC), outlines the beginnings of drama, develops a structured approach to dramatic analysis and presents a definition of drama. :KDWZDVKLVGHILQLWLRQRIGUDPD" Drama is aQLPLWDWLRQRIPHQLQDFWLRQ. $FFRUGLQJWR:LOVRQDQG*ROGIDUEZKDWLVWKHKHDUWRIWKHWKHDWHU H[SHULHQFH" The OLYHUHODWLRQVKLS between the performer and the audience. "During a stage performance the actress and actors can hear laughter, can sense silence, and can feel tension in the audience. In short, the audience can affect, and in subtle ways change, the performance." (Wilson and Goldfarb, page 6). :KDWDUHWKHWUHHFDWHJRULHVRIDUW" Literary, visual, and performing.. :KDWDUHWKHSHUIRUPLQJDUWV" 7KHDWUH, GDQFH, RSHUD and PXVLF. Film, according to Wilson and Goldfarb, is an art form in its own right containing elements of both the visual and performing arts. :KDWFKDUDFWHULVWLFVGRDOOWKHSHUIRUPLQJDUWVKDYHLQFRPPRQ" They all require a FUHDWRU, LQWHUSUHWHU, and an DXGLHQFH. They also require that the interpreter and audience occupy the same space at the same time. :KDWDUHWKHVL[PDMRUHOHPHQWVRIWKHDWUH" 3HUIRUPHUV, DXGLHQFH, GLUHFWRU, theatrical VSDFH, the WHFKQLFDO DVSHFWV of sets, lights, costumes and sound; and the VFULSW (or text). $FFRUGLQJWR(ULF%HQWOH\ ZKDWDUHWKHWKUHHHVVHQWLDOVIRUD WKHDWULFDOSHUIRUPDQFH" An DFWRU (or performer), a FKDUDFWHU (developed by the playwright in the script), and an DXGLHQFH. :K\LVWKHDWUHQRWDSXUHDUW" Theatre, in performance, is produced by the FROODERUDWLRQ of many theatrical artists: performers, directors, designers, producers, managers, writers... :KDWDUHWKHUHVSRQVLELOLWLHVRIWKHVHFROODERUDWRUV" 3HUIRUPHU $FWRU Takes the character developed by the playwright and turns him into a living creation on stage. 'LUHFWRU Is responsible for developing a dramatic interpretation of the playwright's script. He spends most of his time working with the performer. 6FHQH'HVLJQHU Develops the drawings (plans and elevations) necessary to build and paint the sets. Supervises the set and property crews. &RVWXPH'HVLJQHU Develops the drawings (costume plate) necessary to build the costumes worn by the performers. Supervises the costume, or wardrobe crew /LJKWLQJ'HVLJQHU Develops the drawings (light plot) and charts (hook-up chart and cue sheet) necessary to hang, focus, and cue the lights for a production. Supervises the light, or electric crew. 3URGXFHU Is the head (boss) of the production company. He chooses the play, or property; and is responsible for raising the funds necessary to mount the show. 0DQDJHUV Are middle management. They organize, and supervise, the work of the actors, production crew, and house staff. The VWDJH PDQDJHU, for example, is the back stage boss. He keeps a written record of the play's interpretation (prompt book), calls all of the technical cues (lights, scenery) during performance, and is responsible for maintaining the "integrity" of the production once it has opened. 3OD\ZULJKW Writes the text of the play. He develops the characters, outlines the plot, and presents this creation to the audience through dramatic dialogue. Theatre Home Page E-mail questions and comments to Larry Wild at [email protected]. Last updated: January 13, 2004 Copyright © 1995-2004 by Larry Wild, Northern State University, Aberdeen, SD 57401 $XGLHQFHVDQG&ULWLFV 5HVRXUFHV 7H[W Wilson and Goldfarb. 7KHDWHU 7KH/LYHO\$UW, 4th edition: Chapter 1, pages 20 through 35 Audiences | Critics :KDWLVDSHUIRUPDQFH" Anytime a show is presented before an audience. An audience is anyone watching the show who is not directly involved in the production. +RZGRHVLWGLIIHUIURPDUHKHDUVDO" There is no audience for a rehearsal. +RZGRHVWKHDXGLHQFHSDUWLFLSDWHLQDSHUIRUPDQFH" By reacting to the actor's performance. +RZGRHVWKHDXGLHQFHSDUWLFLSDWLRQHIIHFWWKHSHUIRUPDQFHRIDSOD\" The actors will react to the audience's reaction, creating a circular response. :K\GRHV:LOVRQDQG*ROGIDUEQRWLQFOXGHILOPVDQGWHOHYLVLRQLQWKHLU GHILQLWLRQRIWKHDWUH" Because in a film or television performance, the actor can not respond to the audience's reactions. :KDWLVDHVWKHWLFGLVWDQFH" The mental force which reminds the audience that they are in a theatre, and what is happening on stage is not real. (PSDWK\" The mental force which tells the audience that these characters on stage are "real people" with real problems, and they should be concerned with these people's problems. :KDWLVWKHGLIIHUHQFHEHWZHHQLOOXVLRQGHOXVLRQDQGUHDOLW\DVLWSHUWDLQVWR DOLYHWKHDWUHSURGXFWLRQ" ,OOXVLRQ The audience knows what is happening on stage is not real, but will accept it as real for the two hours of the show. 'HOXVLRQ The audience believes what is happening on stage is real, but they are innocent bystanders, and are not involved in the action. 5HDOLW\ The audience not only believes what is happening on stage is real, but believe that it is happening to them :KLFKLVWKHVWDQGDUGDXGLHQFHUHDFWLRQRIDQDGXOWDXGLHQFH" Illusion 2IDFKLOGUHQ VDXGLHQFH" Delusion :KDWLVWKHGLIIHUHQFHEHWZHHQDUHYLHZHUDQGDFULWLF" A UHYLHZHU, who describes a production and gives his opinion on how well it was done, writes for a general audience. The FULWLF, on the other hand, who analyzes the play in greater detail, writes for an audience of theatre people: directors, designers, actors. It is assumed that a FULWLF has a solid knowledge of theatre history, dramatic literature, and theatrical production. A UHYLHZHU, on the other hand, may be anyone with an opinion. 5HYLHZV are typically published in a newspaper are magazine; FULWLFLVP, on the other hand, appears in academic journals and theatrical magazines. :KDWDUHWKHWKUHHFULWHULDIRUWKHDWULFDOFULWLFLVP" Nineteenth century German playwright: Johann Wolfgang Goethe established the three criteria of theatrical criticism... 1. What is the playwright attempting to do? 2. Was it well done? 3. Was it worth doing? :KDWLVWKHGLIIHUHQFHEHWZHHQGHVFULSWLYHDQGSUHVFULSWLYHFULWLFLVP" A GHVFULSWLYHFULWLF, such as the Greek philosopher Aristotle (384- 322 BC) , describes what is happening on stage. A SUHVFULSWLYH FULWLF, such as Roman playwright Horace (65-8 BC) , not only describes the performance, but suggests what the playwright and actors should have done. "Since the time of Aristotle and Horace, critics have tended to fall into one category or the other: either analyzing and describing, or setting down rules." (Wilson and Goldfarb, page 34). Theatre Home Page E-mail questions and comments to Larry Wild at [email protected]. Last updated: January 13, 2004 Copyright © 1995-2004 by Larry Wild, Northern State University, Aberdeen, SD 57401 6WDJH3HUIRUPHUV 5HVRXUFHV 7H[W Wilson and Goldfarb. 7KHDWHU 7KH/LYHO\$UW, 4th edition: Chapter 2, pages 37 - 57. 2XWVLGHUHDGLQJ Charles McGaw and Larry D. Clarck. $FWLQJLV%HOLHYLQJ, 7th edition. Fort Worth, TX: Harcourt Brace College Publishers. 1996. Constantin Stanislavski. $Q$FWRU3UHSDUHV. Translated by Elizabeth Reynolds Hapgood. New York: Theatre Arts Books. 1936. :KDWLVWKHDFWRU VIXQFWLRQ" To turn the dramatic character developed by the playwright into a living breathing human being. Acting is "impersonating a character in a dramatic presentation before an audience." (Wilson and Goldfarb, page 38) :KDWLVWKHGLIIHUHQFHEHWZHHQWKHDFWRUDQGWKHFKDUDFWHUKHLVFUHDWLQJ" The DFWRULVWKHDUWLVW, the FKDUDFWHULVWKHZRUNRIDUW. The problem is that they inhabit the same body. Acting, according to Jeremy Kareken (NDUHNHQM#LGWQHW) is " infusing a play's character with the life of the actor; it's offering up the soul of personality." :KDWLVWKHPHFKDQLFDOH[WHUQDODSSURDFKWRDFWLQJDQGKRZGRHVLWGLIIHU IURPWKHSV\FKRORJLFDOLQWHUQDODSSURDFK" In the H[WHUQDODSSURDFK, the actor re-creates (without becoming emotionally involved) the external signs of the character's emotions. In the LQWHUQDODSSURDFK, the character grows from within the actor.The actor is personally involved with the character. :KDWZDVWKH'HOVDUWH6\VWHP" French actor, opera singer, and teacher, François Delsarte (1811-1871) believed that a character's emotional state could be projected to the audience through a formal set of gestures, postures, and physical attitudes. This became the basis of the 'HOVDUWH6\VWHPRI([SUHVVLRQ published in 1885 by Genevieve Stebbins. This system was used in the actor training programs, such as the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and Emerson's School of Oratory, developed during the last fifteen years of 'HOVDUWH([HUFLVHV the 19th century. Although the this approach was replaced by the Stanislavski method in the 20th centry, the influence of Delsarte can still be seen in American Modern Dance. The 'HOVDUWH([HUFLVHV to the left from 3DVWLPHVDW+RPHDQG6FKRRO $3UDFWLFDO0DQXDORI 'HOVDUWH([HUFLVHVDQG(ORFXWLRQ (1897) illustrate a posture for discovery, mourning, and supplication. This formal, conventional approach to acting can be seen in silent films such as DW Griffith's 7KH%LUWKRID1DWLRQ (1915) and 7KH3KDQWRPRIWKH2SHUD (1925) starring Lon Chaney. Links are to the Internet Movie Database. :KRZDV&RQVWDQWLQ6WDQLVODYVNL" Stanislavski (1863-1938) was a Russian actor and director who developed a "method" to train his fellow actors at the Moscow Art Theatre. He wanted his actors to discover, and project, the "inner truth" of the character, so the performance would be real to the audience. :LWKZKLFKDSSURDFKLVKHDVVRFLDWHG" Psychological internal. As Norman B. Schwartz (LOSURI#WKHJULGQHW) has posted to the Theatre Discussion List KS [Stanislavski] felt that when an actor truly experienced what the character was living under imaginary circumstances, the many layers of meaning in the play would be revealed in a way that would rid it of clichés. He contended that his method of acting was more effective than illustration or indication of emotion by calculated poses and tricks of voice and gesture. If the actor believed in the imaginary circumstances, revealing the subtleties of the text by truthful action rather than rhetoric, the audience would see things in the play that had been hidden previously by poor or lazy acting. KS insisted upon more [from] the actor, and particularly [from] an ensemble of actors, than many directors who preceded him. E\1RUPDQ%6FKZDUW] :KHQGLGKHOLYH" The Stanislavski method was developed during the first two decades of the 20th century. He wrote four books: 0\/LIHLQ$UW (1924), $Q $FWRU3UHSDUHV (1936),%XLOGLQJD&KDUDFWHU (1949), and &UHDWLQJD 5ROH (1961). :KHUH" Moscow. :KDWZDVWKH$PHULFDQKRPHRIWKH6WDQLVODYVNLPHWKRG" The American home of "The Method" is the $FWRU V6WXGLR, founded in 1947 by Elia Kazan (the director of 6WUHHWFDU1DPHG 'HVLUH), Robert Lewis and Cheryl Crawford. Only about 800 artists have been admitted to Studio membership. Collectively, they have received more than 150 Oscar, Tony and Emmy awards. In 1995 the Actor's Studio became the Actors Studio Drama School, a division of the New School University (originally the New School for Social Research) in New York City. :KRZDVLWVPDVWHUWHDFKHU" /HH6WUDVEXUJ (1901-1982). In 1979 he joined George Burns and Art Carney in a film comedy about three retired men who were *RLQJLQ6W\OH. :KRZDVLWVILUVWFHOHEUDWHGSXSLO" 0DUORQ%UDQGR (1924- ). Other actors who are part of the studio include Alec Baldwin, Robert DeNiro, Sally Field, Gene Hackman, Dustin Hoffman, Dennis Hopper, Walter Matthau, Jack Nicholson, Al Pacino, and Gene Wilder. :KDWZDVKLV 0DUORQ%UDQGR V ILUVWPDMRU1HZ Tennessee William's 6WUHHWFDU1DPHG'HVLUH (1948) which was directed by Eli Kazan, one of the founders of the Actor's Studio. %ULHIO\RXWOLQHWKHVHYHQVWHSVRIWKH6WDQLVODYVNLDQDSSURDFK RUPHWKRG WR DFWLQJ" 1. The actor needs a WUDLQHGERG\DQGYRLFH. 2. He must NQRZVWDJHWHFKQLTXH 3. He must be a VNLOOHGREVHUYHURIOLIH, and be able to re-call what he observes. 4. He must DQDO\]HWKHVFULSW to determine his character's PRWLYDWLRQ -- his VSLQH or PDMRUREMHFWLYH. 5. He should become HPRWLRQDOO\LQYROYHG with the character he is creating while he is on stage. 6. He must FRQFHQWUDWH on the character he is creating, pushing everything else out of his mind. 7. He must FRQWLQXDOO\ZRUN on perfecting his art and craft. +RZFDQDQDFWRUSUHSDUHKLVERG\DQGYRLFHIRUWKHVWDJH" An actor can prepare his voice by taking YRLFH VLQJLQJ OHVVRQV and his body by taking IHQFLQJ VZRUGILJKWLQJ OHVVRQV. He must learn to sensitize his physical instrument, his body, to respond appropriately to the emotional or attitudinal changes within his character. :KDWLVVWDJHWHFKQLTXH" The skill necessary to adapt everyday life to the conventions of the stage. There are techniques for walking, talking on the phone, opening a door, sitting in a chair, firing a gun, eating food, etc. :K\PXVWDQDFWRUEHDVNLOOHGREVHUYHURIOLIH" Because it is one of his primary research tools. He builds his character from these observations. :KDWLVHPRWLRQDOUHFDOO" The actor's ability to recall an experience from his past, and re-live that experience on stage. 7KHPDJLFLI" The actor, asking himself, "If I was this character, what would I do?" :KDWLVWKHGLIIHUHQFHEHWZHHQDFKDUDFWHU VWH[WDQGKLVVXEWH[W" The WH[W is the lines written by the playwright. The VXEWH[W is the meaning behind those lines. It is the "action" which is implied instead of stated. The cast should have a shared immersion in the playwright's text. Not an immersion that provides all the answers, but one that offers multiple possibilities. Such an immersion does two things: 1. It forces the actor to make choices, rather than respond in a way predetermined either by themselves or by their director, and 2. It makes them respectful of the choices made by the other actors in the ensemble. :KDWLVDFKDUDFWHU VVSLQHRUPDMRUREMHFWLYH" A character's VSLQH, using Stanislavski's terminology, is the character's major goal or objective, the internal force which drives the character's choices. For example, Hamlet's spine may be WRFOHDQVHWKHFRXUWRI 'HQPDUN. :K\PXVWWKHDFWRUFRQFHQWUDWHRQWKHFKDUDFWHUKHLVFUHDWLQJ" It is the actor's concentration which makes it possible for the actor to ignore everything else that is happening around him. :KDWLVDQDFWRU VPRVWGLIILFXOWSUREOHP" To make each performance new and fresh. To make the audience believe that this is the first time that this "happening" is occuring. The secret to keeping a perfomance fresh is listening. As Broadway director Warren Enters has said "Acting is about listening and responding honestly. If you really are listening you will be able to react honestly to what you are hearing. It is about being absolutely present in the moment and listening." :KDWLVWKHHFRQRPLFUHDOLW\RIWKHDFWLQJSURIHVVLRQ" An actor spends much of his time out of work. There may be two or three months between shows. For every fifteen auditions, he is lucky to be cast in one show. The minimum weekly salary (or "scale") for a New York based Equity actor ranges from $ 453 (for a small 100 seat off-Broadway house) to $ 1,354 (for a first class Broadway production). An actor's income is very unstable. He may make less than a thousand dollars one season, and twenty thousand the next. Most actors have other jobs (as a waiter, secretary, salesman, teacher, model, etc) that they rely on for their bread and butter. :K\LVDQDFWRUDOZD\VRQWKHURDG" Outside of New York, LA, and possibily Chicago a professional actor is usually unable to find enough shows in one community to make a living. So he will perform for four weeks in Seattle, then do six weeks in Atlanta, five weeks in Minneapolis, etc. :KLFKXQLRQUHSUHVHQWVWKHDFWRU" $($ $FWRU V(TXLW\$VVRFLDWLRQ. AEA is a member of the Associated Actors and Artistes of America (the 4As), an umbrella organization which also includes the Screen Actors Guild (SAG), the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA), the American Guild of Musical Artists (AGMA), the American Guild of Variety Artists (AGVA), the Guild of Italian American Actors (GIAA), and the Hebrew Actors Union (HAU). +RZGR\RXEHFRPHDPHPEHURIWKLVXQLRQ" You become a member of Equity when you are cast in an Equity production. You may also join Equity through its fifty week "Membership Candidate Program." The candidate learns the art through nearly a years experience in the acting company of Equity approved theatres. Theatre Home Page E-mail questions and comments to Larry Wild at [email protected]. Last updated: September 16, 2003 © 1995-2003 by Larry Wild, Northern State University, Aberdeen, SD 57401 7KH'LUHFWRUDQGWKH3URGXFHU 5HVRXUFHV 7H[W Wilson and Goldfarb. 7KHDWHU 7KH/LYHO\$UW, 4th edition: Chapter 3, pages 59 - 74. 2XWVLGHUHDGLQJ Harold Clurman. 2Q'LUHFWLQJ. New York: Macmillan. 1992. Alexander Dean. )XQGDPHQWDOVRI3OD\'LUHFWLQJ. 4th edition, revised by Lawrence Carra. New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston. 1980. Francis Hodge. 3OD\'LUHFWLQJ $QDO\VLV&RPPXQLFDWLRQDQG6W\OH. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall. 1971. Stephen Langley. 7KHDWUH0DQDJHPHQWLQ$PHULFD. New York: Drama Book Specialists. 1974. Stephen Langley. 3URGXFHUVRQ3URGXFLQJ. New York: Drama Book Specialists. 1976. ,QWHUQHW 3OD\ELOO2Q/LQH A searchable listing of shows playing in New York. Q\WKHDWUHFRP Another searchable listing of New York shows. The Director | The Producer 7KH'LUHFWRU :KHQDQGZKHUHGLGGLUHFWLQJDVDFUHDWLYHWKHDWULFDODUWHPHUJH" In *HUPDQ\ during the last quarter of the QLQHWHHQWKFHQWXU\. Georg II (1826-1914), the Duke of Saxe-Meiningen, a small city- state in southern German, is generally considered Europe's first director. His company began touring the capitols of Europe in 1874. %HIRUHWKHHYROXWLRQRIWKHPRGHUQGLUHFWRUZKRKDQGOHGWKH LQWHUSUHWDWLYHPDQDJHULDOUHVSRQVLELOLWLHV" The playwright, the leading actor (or star), or the company manager. :KDWLVWKHGLIIHUHQFHEHWZHHQWKHFUHDWLYHGLUHFWRUDQGWKHLQWHUSUHWDWLYH GLUHFWRU" A FUHDWLYHGLUHFWRU places his primary emphasis on his personal vision. He will often... x Change the period and location of the play's action; x Add songs, dances (pantomimes), and projections; x Include scenes from other scripts from the same playwright (or period), x Add a "Stage Manager" to help the audience understand the meaning of the work. The director has become the author (DXWHXU) of a new work based on the playwright's text. This text, often one of the classic Greek or Shakespearean tragedies, is almost always in the public domain. The LQWHUSUHWDWLYHGLUHFWRU places his primary emphasis on the playwright's text. There is often a fine line between a creative ( Sophocles $QWLJRQH set in Nazi Germany) and an interpretative ($QWLJRQH set in 400 BC Corinth) production. :KDWLVWKHGLUHFWRU VPDMRUUHVSRQVLELOLW\" To develop a dramatic interpretation of the playwright's script. :KDWLVWKHUHODWLRQVKLSEHWZHHQDSOD\ VLQWHUSUHWDWLRQDQGWKHPDMRU FKDUDFWHU VVSLQH" A play's interpretation is often directly related to the progatonist's "major objective." For example William Shakespeare's +DPOHW can be presented as... x a SHUVRQDOWUDJHG\ (Hamlet's motivation: to avenge the death of his father), x a UHOLJLRXVWUDJHG\ (Hamlet's spine: to cleanse the court of Denmark), x a SROLWLFDOWUDJHG\ (Hamlet's spine: to depose Claudius as the King of Denmark), x a IUHXGLDQWUDJHG\ (Hamlet's spine: to punish Claudus, his uncle, for marrying Gertrude, his mother)... ,QWKHQRQFRPPHUFLDOHGXFDWLRQDODQGFRPPXQLW\WKHDWUHZKRXVXDOO\ VHOHFWVWKHSOD\" The production director, often with assistance of a play reading or script selection committee. :KDWPXVWEHFRQVLGHUHGZKHQVHOHFWLQJWKHSURGXFWLRQVIRUDVHDVRQ" x A variety in style and content, x The taste and desires of the potential audience, x The available actors, and x The production demands on sets, costumes, theatre facility, and budget. :KDWLVWKHGLIIHUHQFHEHWZHHQDQRSHQDQGDFORVHGDXGLWLRQ" In an RSHQ audition, all are welcome. In a FORVHG audition, only those who have been invited by the producer or director may read for a part. :KLFKGRZHXVHDW1RUWKHUQ6WDWH" Open auditions. :KLFKLVXVHGWRFDVWWKHPDMRUUROHVLQDFRPPHUFLDO%URDGZD\ SURGXFWLRQ" Closed auditions. 7KHPLQRURUFKRUXVSDUWV" Open auditions. Because of the number of people trying out, and the amount of time each can spend on stage, these auditions are traditionally called "cattle calls." :KDWLVWKHIXQFWLRQRIUHKHDUVDO" To turn the actor into the character. +RZPDQ\ZHHNVGRHVD%URDGZD\SURGXFWLRQRIDSOD\UHKHDUVH" A Broadway play rehearses for four weeks. According to Equity rules, a week is "six days out of seven", and a day is 8 1/2 hours, producing a total of 204 rehearsal hours. $PXVLFDO" Five weeks. Total rehearsal time-- 255 hours. +RZPDQ\ZHHNVGRHVDQDYHUDJHHGXFDWLRQDORUFRPPXQLW\WKHDWUH SURGXFWLRQUHKHDUVH" Five or six weeks. A week is usually five days, and a day's rehearsal is three hours. Total number of rehearsal hours with a 5 week schedule-- 75. :KDWDUHWKHILYHW\SHVRIUHKHDUVDOV" 1. Reading-- 1 rehearsal, 2. Blocking-- 3 rehearsals, for a three act play, 3. Polishing-- 14 rehearsals, 4. Technical-- 1 rehearsal, and 5. Dress-- 3 rehearsals. :KDWLVEORFNLQJ" Blocking is an actor's major movements. When he enters, crosses to the sofa, sits, etc. :KDWLVWKHGLIIHUHQFHEHWZHHQEORFNLQJDQGVWDJHEXVLQHVV" %ORFNLQJ is major actor movements-- entrances, exits, a cross from the sofa to the fire place. Stage EXVLQHVV is small character defining movements. A character looking at his pocket watch, opening a book. :KDWWHFKQLTXHVFDQDGLUHFWRUXVHWRPDNHRQHDFWRUGRPLQDWHWKHVWDJH" 1. The character's relationship to the audience [Full front is the strongest position], 2. A character's height [The tallest actor will dominate a scene], 3. The character's focus, [The audience will look at the character, the other on stage characters are looking at], 4. Stage areas [The strongest area is down center], 5. Scenery [A character framed in a door way], 6. Costumes [A character in a bright costume], 7. Lights [A character isolated in a pool of light], 8. Movement [A character moving across the stage]. :KHUHLVXSVWDJH" Towards the back wall. 'RZQVWDJH" Towards the audience. 6WDJHOHIW"6WDJHULJKW" Stage left (and stage right) is always from the actor's perspective, with the actor standing on the stage facing the audience. :KLFKLVWKHVWURQJHVWVWDJHDUHD" Down center. 7KHZHDNHVW" Up left. :K\VKRXOGDQDFWRUQRWZDONRQVRPHRQHHOVH VOLQH" If an actor walks on someone else's line, he will steal that actor's focus. On the other hand, if the director wants to make sure the audience catches a line, a phrase, or a word, a simple move, gesture, or turn, can be used to catch the audience's attention. This is one of those quick "rules" a director (or actor) can use to give precision and clarity to a performance. +RZORQJEHIRUHRSHQLQJQLJKWVKRXOGWKHDFWRUJRRIIERRN" Normally two to three weeks. 2IISURPSW" One to two week. :KDWLVWKHGLIIHUHQFHEHWZHHQUXQQLQJDVFHQHDQGZRUNLQJDVFHQH" When a scene is UXQ the director will not interrupt the rehearsal, but will wait to the end of the scene to make his comments, a process known as "giving notes." When a scene is ZRUNHG, the director will stop the rehearsal to work on a problem. $WZKLFKUHKHDUVDODUHWKHOLJKWLQJ4VLQWHJUDWHGLQWRWKHDFWLRQRIWKH VKRZ" Technical rehearsal. There are usually two types of technical rehearsals-- A GU\WHFK without actors and a ZHWWHFK with actors. At Northern, the first tech (with actors) is usually four or five days before the show opens. :KHQDUHWKHFRVWXPHVILUVWZRUQ" First dress rehearsal, three days before opening night. 5HKHDUVDO6FKHGXOH)LQDO:HHN 6XQGD\ 0RQGD\ 7XHVGD\ :HGQHVGD\ 7KXUVGD\ )ULGD\ 6DWXUGD\ 1st 2nd 7HFK Final Dress 3HUIRUPDQFH 3HUIRUPDQFH 3HUIRUPDQFH 'UHVV Dress 2XWOLQHWKHDUWLVWLFRUJDQL]DWLRQRIDW\SLFDOWKHDWUHFRPSDQ\ See the drawing on page 69 of :LOVRQDQG*ROGIDUE. :KRDUHWKHIRXUSURGXFWLRQGHVLJQHUV" The VFHQH designer, FRVWXPH designer, OLJKWLQJ designer and VRXQG designer. :KDWDUHWKHIRXUGHSDUWPHQWVRIWHFKQLFDOSURGXFWLRQ" 6HWV (or carpentry), SURSV, OLJKWV (or electric) and FRVWXPHV (or wardrobe). The sound crew is generally considered part of the electric department. :KLFKGHVLJQHULVUHVSRQVLEOHIRUWKHVHOHFWLRQRIWKHSURSV" The scene designer. :KDWXQLRQUHSUHVHQWVWKHGLUHFWRU" SSDC: Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers represents approximately 1200 directors and choreographers working in the professional Broadway, off-Broadway, regional, summer stock and dinner theatre. 7KHGHVLJQHUV" USAA: United Scenic Artists, Local # 829 , affilated with IATSE, (the stage hands union) represents the three visual (sets - lights - costumes) designers as well as the scenic artist. The single local is divided into five geographic regions: New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Boston and Miami. 7KHFUHZV FDUSHQWHUVHOHFWULFLDQVSRSPHQZDUGUREHODGLHV " IATSE: The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees is a large organization which not only represents stage hands but also projectionists, film editors and other craft people employed in the film and television industry. Of the twenty ,$ locals in New York City, only 6 represent the theatrical trades. There are three locals in South Dakota: one each in Sioux Falls, Rapid City and Mitchell / Huron. +RZGR\RXEHFRPHDPHPEHURIWKHVHXQLRQV" To qualify for 66'& membership, a director and/or choreographer must provide proof (resume and reviews) of professional credits, which the 6RFLHW\ defines as jobs on productions with union ((TXLW\ 86$$,$76() affiliation. Before you can join the 8QLWHG6FHQLF$UWLVWV (USAA), you must take an exam in the design area (sets, lights, costumes, scene painting) in which you wish to work. Officially, you become a member of ,$76( through an apprenticeship program, but often you become a member become your father, and his father before him, were members. 7KH3URGXFHU :KRLVWKHSURGXFHUDQGZKDWLVKLVMRE" He is the head of the production company, the "boss." He chooses the play, or property, hires the director, and is responsible for raising the funds necessary to mount the show. In a not-for-profit regional or educational theatre, the producer is usually the theatre's artistic director or the department chairman. :KDWLVDWKHDWUHDQJHO" The investors who provide the necessary funds to cover the pre- performance costs of a commercial production. :KDWLVWKHGLIIHUHQFHEHWZHHQDKLWDQGDIORS" A KLW is a show which repays the "theatre angels" their initial investment. A IORS is a show which does not. :KDWDUHWKHFKDQFHVRISURGXFLQJDKLW" Not very good. An investor has about a 1 in 10 chance of getting their money back. :KLFKKDVDEHWWHUFKDQFHRIEHFRPLQJDKLWDPXVLFDORUDFRPHG\" A musical has a slightly better chance of breaking even. +RZGRHVDSURGXFHUGHWHUPLQHKRZPDQ\SHUIRUPDQFHVWRSUHVHQW" A producer has three options when planning the number of performances. He can use the ORQJUXQ, OLPLWHGUXQ, or UHSHUWRU\ V\VWHP. /RQJUXQ the run is open ended and can be closed by management if the production does not meet operating expenses for two consecutive weeks. /LPLWHGUXQ the show is presented for a set number of performances. 5HSHUWRU\ a number of different works are alternated through the production season. The number of performances in a OLPLWHGUXQ is determined by the size of the potential audience and the seating capacity of the theatre. Approximately 2% of the potential audience supports live theatre with their attendance. If the market area has a population of 50,000, a production company should be able to sell 1,000 tickets. Because a theatre manager must typically sell half the house to meet operating expenses he would schedule two performances in a 1,000 seat theatre (like JFAC MainStage), 4 performances in a 500 seat house (like the Capitol Theatre), 8 performances in a 250 seat venue... :KLFKV\VWHPLVXVHGRQ%URDGZD\" Long run. $W1RUWKHUQ6WDWH" Limited run. Northern presents three, or four, performances of a work. The run can not be extended if the houses are excellent, or cut if we are unable to draw an audience. :KDWLV%URDGZD\ VORQJHVWUXQQLQJVKRZ" &DWV, opened on Broadway on October 7, 1982 and closed its 7,485 performance run at the Winter Garden Theatre on September 10, 2000. During its 18 years ("...a great age for a cat." ) the show grossed 388 million dollars and was seen by an audience of more than 10 million. 2IWKHWRSWHQORQJHVWUXQQLQJ%URDGZD\VKRZVKRZPDQ\DUHPXVLFDOV" Ten 1. &DWV (1982-2000) : 7,485 performances, 2. /HV0LVpUDEOHV (1987-2003) - 6,680 performances - (Visit the official /HV 0LV Web site), 3. 3KDQWRPRIWKH2SHUD* (1988- ) - (Visit the official 3KDQWRP Web site), 4. &KRUXV/LQH (1975-1990) : 6,137 performances, 5. 2K&DOFXWWD (the 1976-1989 revival of the 1969 "revue of erotica") : 5,959 performances, 6. 0LVV6DLJRQ (1991-2001): 4,092 performances 7. %HDXW\DQGWKH%HDVW* (1996- ) - (Visit the official % % Web site), 8. QG6WUHHW (1980-1989) : 3,486 performances, 9. *UHDVH (1972-1980) : 3,388 performances, and 10. )LGGOHURQWKH5RRI (1964-1972) : 3,242 performances, (Shows marked with an * were still running on September 16, 2003.) A commercial Broadway production will present approximately 416 performances (8 a week) a year. :KDWLVWKHORQJHVWUXQQLQJVKRZRII%URDGZD\" 7KH)DQWDVWLFNV (1960-2002). This small "Try to Remember" musical closed its 17,162 performance run in the 153 seat Sullivan Street Playhouse on January 13, 2002. 2Q/RQGRQ V:HVW(QG" 7KH0RXVHWUDS* (1952- ). This Agatha Christie murder mystery opened at the $PEDVVDGRUV in November 1952 and transfered to6W 0DUWLQ V in 1974. This drama, which never played Broadway, is probably, at 50+ years, the world's longest running show. :KDWLVWKHOHQJWKRIWKHVKRUWHVWWKHDWULFDOUXQ" One performance. The shows which opens and closes on opening night. :KRXVHVWKHUHSHUWRU\V\VWHPRISURGXFWLRQ" Opera, (such as New York's Metropolitan Opera), major dance companies (such as the New York City Ballet) and summer festivals (such as the Illinois Shakespeare Festival). +RZGRHVLWZRUN" There are a set number of shows in the companies repertory, and they rotate through the rep changing titles nightly. Monday: &DUPHQ; Tuesday: 2WHOOR; Wednesday matinee: /D7UDYLDWD; Wednesday night: 7KH%DUEHURI6HYLOOH... :KDWDUHWKHWKUHHSURGXFLQJIRUPDWVLQ$PHULFDQWKHDWUH" Commercial, educational, and community. Generally, both educational and community theatres are nonprofit. In a not-for-profit theatre, if the income is greater than the the expences, the "profit" must be invested into the facility or production program. :KDWLVWKHPDMRUJRDORIDFRPPHUFLDOWKHDWUH" To make a profit. /LVWVHYHUDOH[DPSOHVRIFRPPHUFLDOWKHDWUHV ,Q1HZ During the 1998-1999 theatrical season, it is estimated that 11.7 million people saw a "Broadway" show in a Broadway house and an additional 14.8 million saw a "Broadway" show on the road. +RZPXFKLVDWLFNHWWRD%URDGZD\PXVLFDO" Tickets for &KLFDJR at the 1125 seat $PEDVVDGRU7KHDWUH range from $43.75 (rear balcony, Wednesday matinee) to $96.25 (Orchestra, Friday or Saturday night). A few rush seats, sold the day of the show, are available for $20. A full house should bring to the box office approximately $ 85,700 per performance. $SOD\" Between $ 66.25 and $ 86.25 for the limited run engagment of Tennessee William's &DWRQD+RW7LQ5RRI at the 1019 seat 0XVLF %R[7KHDWUH. A full house should bring to the box office approximately $ 73,500 per performance. :KDWW\SHRIVKRZVDUHXVXDOO\SUHVHQWHGRQWKH%URDGZD\VWDJH" Thirty five years ago, about half of the works presented on Broadway were original scripts, either musicals or plays. Today only about 30% of the material is new while nearly half of the productions are revivals of recent Broadway successes or classics. +RZPDQ\VKRZVQRUPDOO\RSHQRQ%URDGZD\GXULQJDVHDVRQ" During the five theatrical seasons between June 1997 and May 2002 there were, on average, openings per year. The smallest number of new productions was 28 (2000-01); the largest was 45 (1998-99). Thirty eight years ago, during the 1965-66 Broadway season there were 76 new productions including 25 original plays (including :DLW 8QWLO'DUN and &DFWXV)ORZHU) and 11 new musicals (including 0DPH and 6ZHHW&KDULW\). Of the 35 Broadway shows which opened during the 2001-2002 season, 17 (or 49%) were still playing on June 1. +RZPDQ\RIWKHVHZHUHSOD\V"0XVLFDOV"5HYLYDOV"6SHFLDOLWLHV"2WKHU" 6HDVRQ 3OD\V 0XVLFDOV 5HYLYDOV 6SHFLDOLWLHV2WKHU 7RWDO 1997-1998 4 10 12 3 8 37 1998-1999 4 10 12 9 10 45 1999-2000 5 8 15 6 5 39 2000-2001 6 6 10 4 2 28 2001-2002 8 6 15 6 0 35 $YJ 5.4 8 12.8 5.6 5 36.6 6SHFLDOLWLHV include solo performances and the Christmas and Easter show at Radio City Music Hall. 2WKHU include revues, foreign plays (or musicals) in English, and foreign plays (or musicals) in a foreign language. :KDWERRNVHULHVLQFOXGHVWKHSURJUDPFRS\IRUDOOSURGXFWLRQVPRXQWHG ERWKRQ%URDGZD\DQGRII%URDGZD\GXULQJWKHVHDVRQ" 7KH%HVW3OD\VRI series, edited by Jeffrey Eric Jenkins. This series of books is also known as "Burns Mantle," the well known drama critic who edited the $SSUR[LPDWHO\KRZPXFKGRHVLWFRVWWRPRXQWD%URDGZD\PXVLFDO" In 1994 Walt Disney Theatrical Production's spent 12 million dollars (a record at the time) bringing a live performance of their successful 1991 film: 7KH%HDXW\DQGWKH%HDVW to the 1,740 seat Palace Theatre. In 1999 % % moved to the Lunt-Fontfanne Theatre. Today (2003) this same production would cost approximately $ 14.90 million. $SOD\" In 1993, the startup cost for Neil Simon's small cast (9 character), single set comedy -- /DXJKWHURQWKHUG)ORRU -- was $ 1.2 million. (Or $ 1.53 million in 2003 dollars.) :KDWLVWKHGLIIHUHQFHEHWZHHQD%URDGZD\DQGDQRII%URDGZD\WKHDWUH" $FWRU V(TXLW\ and the /HDJXHRI$PHULFDQ7KHDWUHVDQG3URGXFHUV define a Broadway house not by its location, but by the seating capacity. A %URDGZD\ theatre seats 500 or more, and an RII %URDGZD\ house seats between 100 and 499. Off-Broadway is a mixture of both commercial producers and nonprofit production companys. +RZPDQ\VKRZVDUHQRUPDOO\SUHVHQWHGRII%URDGZD\GXULQJDVHDVRQ" On average, 81 productions opened each season, off-Broadway between June 1997 and May 2002. Below is a table comparing content between the Broadway and off-Broadway seasons. 3OD\V 0XVLFDOV 5HYLYDOV 6SHFLDOLWLHV2WKHU 7RWDO Broadway 5.4 8 12.8 5.6 5 36.8 Off Broadway 34.2 8.6 16.2 10.8 10.8 80.6 :KDWLVWKHGLIIHUHQFHEHWZHHQWKHSURGXFWLRQFRVWVRID%URDGZD\DQGDQ RII%URDGZD\SUHVHQWDWLRQ" The cost of mounting an off-Broadway production is about half that of mounting a Broadway show. 7KHWLFNHWSULFH" Ticket prices are also about half their broadway counterpart. A ticket for off-Broadway's longest running play: 3HUIHFW&ULPH, a murder- mystery-thriller, at the 165 seat Duffy Theatre on Times Square is $ 35. A full house should bring to the box office approximately $ 5,080 per performance. :KDWLVDQDWLRQDOWRXU"$EXVDQGWUXFNWRXU" The QDWLRQDOWRXU is usually a carbon copy of the Broadway production and plays open ended runs in major metropolitan areas such as Chicago, Los Angles, Toronto and San Francisco. A EXVDQGWUXFN company is a smaller version of the Broadway show which plays limited runs in small communities. The "bus-and- truck" of 3KDQWRPRIWKH2SHUD travels in nineteen 40' semis, and plays 6 week runs in towns like Seattle, Minneapolis and Nashville. :KDWLVDVXPPHUVWRFNFRPSDQ\" A resident acting company which normally produces 10 shows during the three month summer season. There are usually eight -- six evening and two matinee performances -- of each production. :KHUHDUHPRVWFRPPHUFLDOVXPPHUVWRFNFRPSDQLHVORFDWHG" Along the east coast, in the small resort communities of New England and the mid-Atlantic states. :KDWW\SHRISOD\VGRVWRFNFRPSDQLHVWUDGLWLRQDOO\SURGXFH" The light comedies and popular musicals which have had a recent successful Broadway production. *LYHDQH[DPSOHRIDFRPPHUFLDOUHJLRQDOWKHDWUH The 70-- LORT (League of Resident Theatres) professional resident theatres include the Guthrie in Minneapolis, the Arena Stage in Washington DC, the Goodman in Chicago and the Seattle Rep. :KDWW\SHRISURGXFWLRQVGRWKH\XVXDOO\PRXQW" Classics, including modern classics, and original scripts. :KDWLVFRQVLGHUHGWKHILUVWUHJLRQDOWKHDWUH" Although nonprofessional resident theatre companies have existed since the founding of the Washington Square Players in 1914, many consider the Guthrie Theatre in Minneapolis to be the first professional regional resident theatre. :K\ZDVLWFUHDWHG" When the Guthrie opened in May of 1963 with a production of Shakespeare's +DPOHW, Tyrone Guthrie's plan was to create, outside the New York or Los Angeles metropolitan area, a permanent professional resident acting company, which would perform, in repertory, the great dramatic classics. It did not happen. Actors would not sign contracts which would keep them out of the New York / Los Angeles area for an entire season. :KDWLVWKHPDMRUSXUSRVHRIDQHGXFDWLRQDOWKHDWUH" To provide students with experience in acting, stage management, scene painting... and to expose the community to "good" drama. :KDWW\SHRISOD\VGRHVDQHGXFDWLRQDOWKHDWUHXVXDOO\SUHVHQW" Recent Broadway successes, and both modern and traditional classics. :KDWLVWKHGLIIHUHQFHEHWZHHQDFRFXUULFXODUDQGDQH[WUDFXUULFXODU HGXFDWLRQDOWKHDWUHSURJUDP" In aFRFXUULFXODUprogram, the production program is a part of the academic program, and often only theatre major's can participate. In an H[WUDFXUULFXODU program the production program is an adjunct to the academic program, and any student can participate. :KLFKW\SHRISURJUDPGRZHKDYHDW1RUWKHUQ6WDWH" Extra-curricular. :KDWW\SHRIVFKRROVKDYHFRFXUULFXODUSURJUDPV" The major, professionally oriented universities such as Yale and New York University. +RZLVWKHHGXFDWLRQDOWKHDWUHILQDQFHG" Most, if not all, educational theatres are nonprofit. At Northern, about a third of our operating budget comes from student activity fees and the remainder from the sale of individual tickets (box office gross). :KDWLVWKHPDMRUSXUSRVHRIDFRPPXQLW\WKHDWUH" To have fun. Community theatres are often organized by, and for, performers who no longer have access to a stage. Many were active in their high school and college theatre programs. When they graduated and joined the work force they discovered the only outlet for their creative energy was a community theatre. According to the 1000+ member American Association of Community Theatres, there are more than 7,000 amateur acting companies in the United States and Canada. :KDWW\SHRIVKRZVGRWKH\SURGXFH" Recent Broadway successes and modern classics. +RZDUHFRPPXQLW\WKHDWUHVILQDQFHG" Like educational theatres, most (if not all) community theatres are nonprofit. Their major source of income is membership fees (season ticket sales) and individual ticket sales. Tax deductable donations and grants from corporations and government agencies covers approxitamely twenty percent of the working budget. *LYHDQH[DPSOHRIDORFDOFRPPXQLW\WKHDWUH" There are four AACT member companies in South Dakota-- The Aberdeen Community Theatre, The Black Hills Community Theatre (Rapid City), the Matthews Opera House Theatre (Spearfish) and the Olde Towne Dinner Theatre in Worthing. Theatre Home Page E-mail questions and comments to Larry Wild at [email protected]. Last updated: January 23, 2004 © 1995-2004 by Larry Wild, Northern State University, Aberdeen, SD 57401 7KHDWUH6SDFHV 5HVRXUFHV 7H[W Wilson and Goldfarb. 7KHDWHU 7KH/LYHO\$UW, 4th edition. Chapter 4. Pages 77 - 95. :KDWLVWKHGLIIHUHQFHLQWKHDFWRUDXGLHQFHUHODWLRQVKLSEHWZHHQWKH SURVFHQLXPWKHDWUHDQDUHQDWKHDWUHDQGDWKUXVWVWDJHWKHDWUH" In a SURVFHQLXPWKHDWUH the actor is on a raised platform in front of the audience (See the drawing on page 78); On a WKUXVWVWDJHWKHDWUH he is surrounded on three sides by the audience-- the fourth side contains the scenery (See the drawing on page 83), and In an DUHQDWKHDWUH he is totally surrounded by the audience (See the drawings on page 89). :KDWZDVWKHQDPHRIWKHILUVWSURVFHQLXPWKHDWUH":KHUHZDVLWEXLOW" :KHQ" The 3000 seat 7HDWUR)DUQHVH, the first permanent proscenium theatre, was built into the Great Hall of the 3DOD]]RGHOOD3LORWWD in 3DUPD, Italy in . For slightly more information, link to the Question 23 on the 5HQDLVVDQFH7KHDWUH ,WDO\ web page. :KDWLVWKHSURVFHQLXPDUFK" The arch (or "picture frame") which separates the acting area (stage) from the audience area (house or auditorium). :KDWLVWKHWKHDWULFDOQDPHIRUWKHILUVWRUPDLQIORRURIWKHDXGLWRULXP" The RUFKHVWUD. In a musical or opera house there is an RUFKHVWUD for the audience, and an RUFKHVWUDSLW for the musicians. :KDWVKRXOGEHWKHKHLJKWRIWKHIO\ORIW" Between WZRDQGWKUHHWLPHVWKHKHLJKWRIWKHSURVFHQLXPDUFK. A theatre with a twenty foot tall arch should have a 40 and 60 foot high fly loft. The VLOKRXHWWH, or side elevation, of a typical proscenium theatre generally looks like a lazy, or tipped over "/." :K\" To make it possible to hide scenic units (such as a back drop) high above the heads of the actors. See the photograph of New York's Broadhurst Theatre, a typical 1186 seat "Broadway musical" house, on page 80. 1RWH the ER[VHW on stage, the three ER[HV hung from the auditorium right wall, the spot lights mounted on a vertical pipe (ER[ERRP) in the third (or rear) box and the lamps hung from a IRQWRIKRXVHWUXVV over the expensive RUFKHVWUD seats. *LYHDQH[DPSOHRIDSURVFHQLXPWKHDWUH All New York Broadway theatres, and those road houses which host Broadway shows, are proscenium theatres. Aberdeen's &DSLWRO and the &LYLF7KHDWUH and Northern's Johnson Fine Arts Center 0DLQ6WDJH are also proscenium houses. :KLFKWKHDWULFDOIRUPKDVEHHQWKHPRVWZLGHO\XVHGWKHDWUHVSDFH" The WKUXVW stage. :KRZHUHWKHILUVWWRXVHDWKUXVWVWDJH" The ancient *UHHNV. See the photos of the ruins of the Greek theatres at Epidaurus on page 83 and Kas, Turkey on page 76. :KLFKSOD\ZULJKWVKDYHZULWWHQIRUDWKUXVWVWDJH" The four major Greek playwrights: $HVFK\OXV, 6RSKRFOHV, (XULSLGHV and $ULVWRSKDQHV and at least three Elizabethan writers: :LOOLDP6KDNHVSHDUH, &KULVWRSKHU0DUORZH and %HQ-RQVRQ. :KLFKWKFHQWXU\(QJOLVKGLUHFWRUZDVLQYROYHGLQWKHGHYHORSPHQWRI WKHPRGHUQWKUXVWVWDJHWKHDWUH" 7\URQH*XWKULH was instrumental in design of the of both the &DQDGLDQ6KDNHVSHDUH)HVWLYDO Theatre in 1953 and the *XWKULH 7KHDWUH in 1963. *LYHDQH[DPSOHRIDPRGHUQWKUXVWVWDJHWKHDWUH The *XWKULH7KHDWUH in Minneapolis, MN, the &DQDGLDQ6KDNHVSHDUH )HVWLYDO7KHDWUH in Stratford, ON, and the0DUN7DSHU)RUXP in Los Angeles, CA. :KDWZDVWKHILUVWPRGHUQDUHQDWKHDWUH" 7KH3HQWKRXVH7KHDWUH. Professor Glenn Hughes, the founder and Dean (1930-1931) of the University of Washington's School of Drama wanted a small, intimate space, for his educational theatre productions. Such a space was not available on campus so his first theatre (1935-1940) was the penthouse of a Seattle hotel. In 1940 a 160 seat arena theatre was built by the WPA on the university campus at a cost of a little over $ 64,000. This became the Hughes Penthouse Theatre. During the the 1950s and 60s many alternative spaces -- car dealerships, hotel ballrooms, grocery stores, warehouses -- became arena theatres. On a university campus the easiest space to adapt to an intimate arena theatre was the stage of the University's large auditorium. In Columbus, Ohio, Roy Bowen of the Players Club created the Stadium Theatre, a 300 seat arena space under Gate 10 of the Ohio State University Football Stadium. *LYHDQH[DPSOHRIDQDUHQDWKHDWUH The $UHQD6WDJH in Washington, DC and $&RQWHPSRUDU\ 7KHDWUH in Seattle. See the photograph of $&RQWHPSRUDU\7KHDWUH on page 88. :KDWLVWKHGLIIHUHQFHEHWZHHQDIRXQGVSDFHDQGDEODFNER[WKHDWUH" A IRXQGVSDFH is a nontheatrical space -- the rotunda of the state capitol, a church, warehouse, courtroom, carepnters shop -- which is used for a production. Typically the space is chosen because of its context to the play: Shakespeare's -XOLXV&DHVDU at the capitol, 7KH 3DVVLRQ3OD\ in the church, ,QKHULWWKH:LQG in a courtroom... A EODFNER[WKHDWUH is a large, flexable theatrical space which can be easily adapted into any (end stage, thrust, arena) theatrical form. Theatre Home Page E-mail questions and comments to Larry Wild at [email protected]. Last updated: August 29, 2003 © 1995-2003 by Larry Wild, Northern State University, Aberdeen, SD 57401 'HVLJQHUV 6FHQHU\DQG&RVWXPHV 5HVRXUFHV 7H[W Wilson and Goldfarb. 7KHDWHU 7KH/LYHO\$UW, 4th edition: Chapter 5, pages 96 - 120. 2XWVLGHUHDGLQJ J. Michael Gillette. 7KHDWULFDO'HVLJQDQG3URGXFWLRQ, 3rd edition. Mountain View, CA: Mayfield Publishing Company. 1997. Rosemary Ingham and Liz Covey. 7KH&RVWXPH'HVLJQHU V+DQGERRN. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall. 1975. Robert Edmond Jones. 7KH'UDPDWLF,PDJLQDWLRQ. New York: Meredith. 1941. Jo Mielziner. 'HVLJQLQJIRUWKH7KHDWUH. New York: Atheneum. 1965. Scene Design | Costume Design 6FHQH'HVLJQ 6FHQLF0RGHO /LVWWKHIRXUSURGXFWLRQGHVLJQHUV The VFHQH, FRVWXPH, OLJKW, and VRXQG designer. :KRLVFRQVLGHUHGWKHIDWKHURI$PHULFDQVFHQHGHVLJQ" 5REHUW(GPRQG-RQHV (1887-1954) graduated from 7ZHOWK1LJKW Harvard in 1910, traveled to Europe to study the "New 5HQGHULQJ StageCraft" and returned to America at the beginning of World War I. He shocked the New York theatre audience in 1915 with his simple presentational set for 7KH0DQ:KR0DUULHGD'XPE:LIH. He is primarily remembered today for his work with the Provincetown 7KH7HPSHVW Players (1916-1929) and the Theatre Guild (1919- ) and their staging of Eugene O'Neill's early plays and the vivid dramatic lighting for productions of Shakespeare's 0DFEHWK, 5LFKDUG ,,,, and +DPOHW. :KDWLVWKHDFWLRQGRFXPHQWDWLRQPHWDSKRUDSSURDFKWRVFHQHGHVLJQ" $FWLRQ Provide those elements needed by the director and actor to stage the show. 'RFXPHQWDWLRQ Locating the action of the play in a specific place and period. 0HWDSKRU The poetic statement of the theme of the play through the scenery. :KLFK$PHULFDQGHVLJQHULVFUHGLWHGZLWKGHYHORSLQJWKLVDSSURDFK" 0RUGHFDL*RUHOLN (1900-1975), who was an apprentice to Robert Edmond Jones, developed and taught the DFWLRQGRFXPHQWDWLRQ PHWDSKRU approach to design at a number of American colleges and universities, including Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. :KDWLVWKHGLIIHUHQFHEHWZHHQUHSUHVHQWDWLRQDOLVPDQGSUHVHQWDWLRQDOLVP" From the &DPEULGJH*XLGHWR7KHDWUH: 5HSUHVHQWDWLRQDO theatre tries to create an illusion of reality. 3UHVHQWDWLRQDO theatre emphasizes theatricality and acknowledges the theatre as theatre-- there is no illusion. In scenic design, a UHSUHVHQWDWLRQDO set gives the illusion of reality, a SUHVHQWDWLRQDO set is a "backdrop" behind the performer. :KLFKLVPRUHUHDOLVWLF" Representationalism. 0RUHWKHDWULFDORUQRQUHDOLVWLF" Presentationalism. :KDWDUHILYHOLPLWDWLRQVRQDVFHQHGHVLJQHU VFUHDWLYLW\" 1. The SOD\, 2. The GLUHFWRU, 3. The theatre and its physical IDFLOLWLHV, 4. The EXGJHW (in both time and money), and 5. The H[SHULHQFHV and DELOLWLHV of the crew. /LVWILYHHOHPHQWVRIVFHQLFGHVLJQ 1. /LQH the outline of the scenic units onstage 2. 0DVV the bulk or weight of the scenic units 3. &RPSRVLWLRQ the balance and arrangement of the scenic units 4. 7H[WXUH the "feel" of the scenic units 5. &RORU the color and tone of the scenic units :KDWDUHWKHVFHQLFGHVLJQHU VUHVSRQVLELOLWLHV" 1. Establish the size and shape of the acting area, 2. Locate entrances / exits to this theatrical space: doors, arches, ramps, steps..., 3. Create a color and texture for the general background, 4. Determine the number and location of scenic pieces: chairs, couches, tables, desks..., 5. Develop a FRORUHGUHQGHULQJ or build a VFDOHPRGHO of the proposed set, 6. Draft the JURXQGSODQ, and GHVLJQHU VHOHYDWLRQV, and 7. Supervise the construction, painting and rigging of the set. :KDWLVWKHGLIIHUHQFHEHWZHHQWKHSUHVHQWDWLRQDOPDWHULDODQGWKHZRUNLQJ GUDZLQJV" 3UHVHQWDWLRQDOPDWHULDOV are the drawings (rendering or model) a designer uses to sell his ideas to the director and producer. See the illustrations for 7KH7HPSHVW and 7ZHOWK1LJKW at the top of this section. Both productions and 7KH7DPLQJRIWKH6KUHZ which is illustrated in Chapter 9 of :LOVRQDQG*ROGIDUE were staged on a "unit set" by the Ilinois Shakespeare Festival in Bloomington. The ZRUNLQJGUDZLQJV are the "blue prints" used by the crew to build, paint, and assemble the set. :KLFKSURGXFWDFRORUHGUHQGHULQJRUDVFDOHPRGHOPRVWDFFXUDWHO\ UHIOHFWVKRZDVHWZLOOORRNXQGHUOLJKWRQRSHQLQJQLJKW" A rendering. Photo 4 on page 197 of Chapter 9 of :LOVRQDQG *ROGIDUE or the rendering for 7KH7HPSHVW at the top of this section. :KLFKEHVWUHIOHFWVDVHW VVSDFLDODUUDQJHPHQW" Scale model. :KDWLVWKHGLIIHUHQFHEHWZHHQDSK\VLFDOPRGHODQGDYLUWXDOPRGHO" A SK\VLFDOPRGHO (like the model of 7ZHOWK1LJKW at the top of this page) is created with illustration board and glue. A YLUWXDOPRGHO is created in memory by a computer aided drafting (CAD) program and is saved on the hard drive of a personal computer. As with a physical model, the virtual model can be viewed (using the programs )O\2YHU tool) from a number of different positions. :KDWLVDIORRUSODQ" A WRS view of the set. The floor plan is used by the crew to locate the set on the stage floor. $GHVLJQHU VHOHYDWLRQ" A IURQW view of each individual piece of scenery. The designer's elevations are used by the shop crew to determine the height and architectual detail of each scenic unit. For a more complete look at the world of scenic drafting (both SUHVHQWDWLRQDO and ZRUNLQJGUDZLQJV), link to an ,QWURGXFWLRQWR 7KHDWULFDO'UDZLQJ on my 6FHQH'HVLJQ web page. Use the %DFN %XWWRQ to return. :KDWLVDIODW" A wood frame (1x3) covered with canvas (or plywood). Flats are usually assembled to create the walls of a realistic interior set. $SODWIRUP" A wood frame (2x4s) covered with 3/4 inch plywood. Platforms or used by a designer to create different levels on the stage floor. $GURS" A large piece of painted canvas hung from a pipe (or batten). Generally used as a backdrop behind the set. :KDWLVWKHGLIIHUHQFHEHWZHHQDVFULPDQGWKHF\F" A VFULP is an open-weave fabric which appears to be opaque when lit from the front and transparent when lit from behind. It is often used for "ghost" effects and flashback scenes. TheF\F, short for cyclorama, is a backdrop used to represent an "endless sky." &RVWXPH'HVLJQ &RVWXPH3ODWH :K\LVWKHFRVWXPHGHVLJQWKHPRVWSHUVRQDOYLVXDO HOHPHQWRQVWDJH" Because the costume is worn by the performer. To the audience, the actor and the costume he wears is merged into a single image: the character. +RZFDQFRVWXPHVKHOSWKHDXGLHQFHXQGHUVWDQGWKH UHODWLRQVKLSEHWZHHQWKHFKDUDFWHUVLQDSOD\" The costume designer, primarily using the element of color, divides the cast of characters into dramatic (or family) groups. For example, in a production of Shakespeare's 5RPHRDQG-XOLHW, all of the Capulets might be costumed in a warm (red, orange, yellow) Bertram (Costume 1) color, and all of the Montagues in a cool (blue, green) $OO V:HOO7KDW(QGV color. :HOO :KDWDGGLWLRQDOLQIRUPDWLRQDERXWWKHSOD\RULWVFKDUDFWHUVFDQFRVWXPHV SURYLGH" Costumes can help establish the SHULRG and ORFDWLRQ of the play, and aid the actor in presenting his character by indicating his DJH, VRFLDO SRVLWLRQ, and HFRQRPLFVWDWXV. :KDWLVWKHFRVWXPHGHVLJQHU VUHVSRQVLELOLWLHV" 1. Determine the dramatic groups within the play, 2. Draft a FRVWXPHFKDUW, 3. Determine the number of costumes needed for the show, 4. Sketch a shape or silhouette for each costume, 5. Create a color scheme for the total production, 6. Establish a color scheme, based on the SURGXFWLRQFRORUVFKHPH, for each individual costume, 7. Draft and render a FRVWXPHSODWH for each costume, 8. Choose the fabric and accessories for those costumes which will be built in the shop, and 9. Supervise the construction and fitting of all the costumes in the production. :KDWLVDFRVWXPHFKDUW" A chart indicating the scenes in which each character appears. :KDWLQIRUPDWLRQGRHVLWSURYLGHWKHFRVWXPHGHVLJQHU" It tells the designer which characters work the stage together. :KDWLVDFRVWXPHSODWH" A colored rendering of the finished costume. See the costume design for Bertram from the Illinois Shakespeare Festival production of $OO V :HOO7KDW(QGV:HOO at the top of this section. :KDWDUHWKHHOHPHQWVRIFRVWXPHGHVLJQ" 1. Line and silhouette 2. Color 3. Fabric (or texture) 4. Accessories: fringe, lace, ruffles, feathers, belts... :KLFKGHVLJQHOHPHQWGRHVWKHFRVWXPHGHVLJQHUXVHWRHVWDEOLVKWKHSOD\V SHULRGDQGORFDOH" Line, shape or silhouette. &KDUDFWHUUHODWLRQVKLSV" Color. $FKDUDFWHU VVRFLDOHFRQRPLFSRVLWLRQ" Fabric (or texture) /LVWILYHZD\VRIREWDLQLQJILQLVKHGFRVWXPHV 1. Build (or make), 2. Pull from stock, 3. Borrow (usually from the actor), 4. Rent, or 5. Buy (often from second hand stores). :KLFKWHFKQLTXHSURYLGHVWKHGHVLJQHUWKHJUHDWHVWFRQWURORYHUWKH ILQLVKHGSURGXFW" Building, or constructing the costumes in the shop. :KDWDUHWKHWZRPDMRUSUREOHPVDVVRFLDWHGZLWKFRVWXPHFRQVWUXFWLRQ" 1. The lack of patterns for period shows and 2. The amount of time needed to build a show. Most shops budget 10 crew hours per costume. If there are 50 costumes in a show, that's 500 hours. If you have four weeks to build the show, and your shop is open four hours a day, five days a week (a 20 hour work week), you will need a costume construction crew of 6.25 persons. Theatre Home Page E-mail questions and comments to Larry Wild at [email protected]. Last updated: January 29, 2004 Copyright © 1995-2004 by Larry Wild, Northern State University, Aberdeen, SD 57401 'HVLJQHUV /LJKWLQJDQG6RXQG 5HVRXUFHV 7H[W Wilson and Goldfarb. 7KHDWHU 7KH/LYHO\$UW, 4th edition: Chapter 6, pages 122 - 141. 2XWVLGHUHDGLQJ John L. Bracewell. 6RXQG'HVLJQLQWKH7KHDWUH. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall. 1993 J. Michael Gillette. 7KHDWULFDO'HVLJQDQG3URGXFWLRQ, 3rd edition. Mountain View, CA: Mayfield Publishing Company. 1997. Jean Rosenthal. 7KH0DJLFRI/LJKW. Boston: Little, Brown and Company. 1972. Lighting Design | Sound Design /LJKWLQJ'HVLJQ %HIRUHHOHFWULFLW\ZKDWZDVXVHGWROLJKWWKHSHUIRUPHU" From 500 BC until the 1600s, theatrical performances generally took place outdoors in the afternoon so the actor was lit by VXQOLJKW. When theatre moved indoors during the Renaissance and English Restoration, the performer was lit first by FDQGOHOLJKW and later by RLOODPSV. In the middle of the 1800s, JDVOLJKW which could be controlled, replaced oil lamps as the major source of illumination. :KDWZDVWKHJDVWDEOH" A collection of valves used to FRQWURO the intensity of the light. With the advent of the gas table it became possible to dim the "house lights" focusing the audience's attention on actor on stage. :KHQGLGWKHHOHFWULFODPSEHFRPHWKHPDMRUVRXUFHRIWKHDWULFDOOLJKW" In the V. London's 6DYR\7KHDWUH, the theatrical home of Gilbert and Sullivan's operettas, was, in 1881, the first theatre to be totally lit by electricity. :KDWDUHWKHILYHSXUSRVHVRUIXQFWLRQVRIOLJKW" 1. To VHH, 2. To IRFXV the audience's attention, 3. To reveal the performer's three dimensional IRUP 4. To give the audience LQIRUPDWLRQ (time of day, weather conditions), and 5. To establish the PRRG :KDWDUHWKHILYHFRQWUROODEOHTXDOLWLHVRUSURSHUWLHVRIOLJKW" 1. Intensity, 2. Color 3. Direction, 4. Distribution, and 5. Movement. Note how the TXDOLWLHV of light (FRORUGLUHFWLRQGLVWULEXWLRQ, and LQWHQVLW\) in the color photographs on pages 127, 130 and 139 create PRRG, reveal IRUP, establish WLPHRIGD\, and IRFXV the audience's attention. :KDWLVJHO" The sheet of plastic (or FRORUPHGLD) used to FRORU the beam of light. :KDWLVWKHGLIIHUHQFHEHWZHHQDIORRGOLJKWDQGDVSRWOLJKW" A IORRGOLJKW produces a large, almost uncontrollable wash of light; A VSRWOLJKW, on the other hand, produces a small (up to 12' diameter), highly controlled, pool of light. :KLFKLVSULPDULO\XVHGWROLJKWWKHDFWRU" Spot light. 7KHVFHQHU\" Flood light :KHQZDVWKHFRPSXWHUDVVLVWHGFRQWUROERDUGLQWURGXFHGWRWKH%URDGZD\ WKHDWUH":KDWZDVWKHVKRZ" November , with the Broadway opening of &KRUXV/LQH at the Schubert Theatre. :KHUHVKRXOGWKHOLJKWLQJFRQWUROERDUGEHORFDWHG" In the back of the auditorium. :K\" So the board operator has the same view of the stage as the audience. :KDWLVDOLJKWLQJGHVLJQHU VUHVSRQVLELOLWLHV" 1. Develop a Q list, 2. Specifiy what lighting instruments will be used and where they will be hung, 3. Determine the color and focus of each lamp, 4. Determine which units will be ganged together on the same control channel, 5. Draft a OLJKWSORW, KRRNXSFKDUW and 4VKHHW, 6. Supervise the hanging and gelling of the lights, 7. Focus the instruments, 8. Create compositions, or ORRNV for each lighting Q, and 9. Supervise the technical and dress rehearsals. :KDWLVDOLJKWSORW" The OLJKWSORW is the lighting designer's primary working drawing. It is a SODQ (or WRS) view of the stage showing where each lighting instrument (spot light or flood light) is located. See Photo 7 on page 200 of Chapter 9: 3URILOHRID3URGXFWLRQ. $KRRNXSFKDUW" The KRRNXSFKDUW tells the electrician into which dimmer each lighting instrument is to be plugged. $FXHVKHHW" The FXH (or 4) VKHHW is the electrician's script. It outlines each lighting change (a cue) and describes how it should be executed. For more information on OLJKWSORWV, KRRNXSFKDUWV and FXH VKHHWV, link to the "Light Plot and Hook-up Chart" section of the 6WDJH&UDIW /LJKWLQJ'HVLJQ web page. Use the %DFN%XWWRQ to return. 6RXQG'HVLJQ :KHQGLGWKHVRXQGGHVLJQHUMRLQWKHSURGXFWLRQWHDP" The first person to receive a Broadway credit as 6RXQG'HVLJQHU was Abe Jacob, president of the Theatrical Sound Designers Association (IA Local 922). The show was the Broadway production of Weber and Rice's -HVXV&KULVW6XSHUVWDU. Three years earlier, Dan Dugan received 6RXQG'HVLJQ credit in the Season Program for San Francisco's American Conservatory Theatre (ACT). The title was invented by ACT stage manager Dorothy Fowler "to describe what Dan Dugan does." Electrical sound UHLQIRUFHPHQWand sound UHSURGXFWLRQ has been used in the theatre since the 1940s. A turntable would be plugged into the theatre's PA (SXEOLFDGGUHVV) system for pre-show music and a couple of microphones were set on the front of the stage to pickup the lead singer's voice. Sound equipment was usually specified by the stage manager and set up by the electric (or light) crew. Most sound effects (JXQVKRWVGRRUVODPVWKXQGHU) were produced manually by a member of the property department. :KDWLVWKHGLIIHUHQFHEHWZHHQVRXQGUHLQIRUFHPHQWDQGVRXQG UHSURGXFWLRQ" 6RXQGUHLQIRUFHPHQW is the amplification of the performer's voice, VRXQGUHSURGXFWLRQ is the reproduction of recorded music and sound effects. :KDWW\SHRIWKHDWULFDOSURGXFWLRQVWHQGWRXVHVRXQGUHLQIRUFHPHQW" Large modern PXVLFDOV, especially those with a full pit orchestra. :K\" Most singers need amplification to be heard over the orchestra. +RZLVSUHUHFRUGHGVRXQGXVHGLQWKHSURGXFWLRQRIDSOD\" The 6RXQG'HVLJQHU (or 'LUHFWRU) will typically select and record pre-show, scene change, intermission, and post-show PXVLF. Normally the music will reflect the period and mood of the play. Many dramas will also use recorded VRXQGHIIHFWV: thunder, a passing train, waves breaking on the shore... These sounds are available from a commercial effects library or off the Internet. :KDWLVDVRXQGGHVLJQHU VUHVSRQVLELOLWLHV" 1. Develop a Q list of sound effects and required music 2. Specify the type and amount of equipment to be used, 3. Determine the location of both microphones and speakers 4. Prepare the master tape or CD 5. Supervise the mounting and operation of the sound equipment :KDWW\SHVRIPLFURSKRQHVDUHXVHGWRPLNHDPXVLFDO" x )RRWPLNHV placed along the front edge of the stage, x :LUHOHVVERG\PLNHV for the major characters. :KHUHLQWKHWKHDWUHDUHVSHDNHUVORFDWHGIRUVRXQGUHLQIRUFHPHQW" In a large theatre with a permanent sound system, a speaker cluster is generally hung over the FHQWHURIWKHRUFKHVWUDSLW. In a smaller house, speaker columns are placed on each VLGHRIWKHSURVFHQLXP RSHQLQJ. It is generally recommended that every member of the house be able to see at least one of these speakers. 6RXQGUHSURGXFWLRQ" %DFNVWDJH near the "source" of the sound. If a character reacts to gun shots being fired off stage right, the sound should come from a stage right speaker. :KHUHVKRXOGWKHPL[LQJFRQVROHEHSODFHG" In the EDFNRIWKHDXGLWRULXP. Just like the light board operator should have a clear view of the stage, the sound board operator must be able to hear the same sound as the audience. :KDWKDVWUDGLWLRQDOO\EHHQWKHVRXUFHRIVRXQGHIIHFWFXHV" A UHHOWRUHHOWDSHGHFN. Sound effects and music cues were recorded onto tape. White leader tape was cut in (edited) between each sound Q making it possible to quickly locate a specific piece of music or effect. Because the entire show was recorded on tape, it was easy to add additional Qs or to rearrange the existing Qs. +RZKDYHFRPSXWHUVHIIHFWHGVRXQGUHSURGXFWLRQ" Today, many sound designers record the music and sound effects on a computer's hard drive. The individual cuts can then be manuplitiated and edited with available software, and cut to a CD, recorded onto a MiniDisc or played back in the theatre from the designer's computer. Theatre Home Page E-mail questions and comments to Larry Wild at [email protected]. Last updated: September 30, 2003 © 1995-2003 by Larry Wild, Northern State University, Aberdeen, SD 57401 7KH3OD\ZULJKW 6XEMHFW)RFXV3XUSRVHDQG'UDPDWLF 6WUXFWXUH 5HVRXUFHV 7H[W Wilson and Goldfarb. 7KHDWHU 7KH/LYHO\$UW, 4th edition: Chapter 7, pages 143 - 170. 2XWVLGHUHDGLQJ Aristotle. Poetics. Translation by S.H. Butcher, London, 1907. :KDWDUHWKHSOD\ZULJKW VWDVNV" 1. Select the specific VXEMHFWPDWWHU of the play, 2. Determine the IRFXV and HPSKDVLV, 3. Establish theSXUSRVH, 4. Establish the SRLQWRIYLHZ, 5. Develop the GUDPDWLFVWUXFWXUH, and 6. Create the GUDPDWLFFKDUDFWHUV. *HQHUDOO\ZKDWLVWKHVXEMHFWPDWWHURISOD\" Aristotle defined drama as "the imitation of men in action." There for, the VXEMHFWPDWWHU of all drama is "man," the human being. It is the playwright's responsibility to select a specific human being, and to IRFXV on this person's story and character. :KDWLVWKHSXUSRVHRIGUDPD" To entertain, to teach, to question, to excite, to move, to thrill, to frighten... Answering the question: "What is theatre for?," Jeffrey Sweet, a playwright on the 7KHDWUH0DLOLQJ/LVW, posted... Theatre is for a lot of things. (QWHUWDLQPHQW, of course. It's also a VRFLDOHYHQW at which groups of people jointly participate in creating / witnessing images of their culture and so see these images in a new way. It's also for SOD\ -- to provide an outlet for people to have a good time in a structured way. It can also be for HGXFDWLRQ -- to make vivid, for instance, arguments and controversies which would look less vital summarized in historical, philosophical, sociological or anthropological texts. (-HIIUH\6ZHHW ) :KDWDUH$ULVWRWOH V6L[(OHPHQWVRI'UDPDWLF6WUXFWXUH" 1. Plot, 2. Character, 3. Dialogue (or diction), 4. Thought (or theme), 5. Rhythm (or music), 6. Spectacle (or the physical production). Noted scholar Jon Berry has an interesting theory about Aristotle's 6L[HOHPHQWVRI'UDPD While Aristotle ranked them in a specific order, Dr. Berry claims that in our pluralistic society, different genres of plays tend to emphasize different elements. Sample plays he chooses to use to illustrate his idea has $JDPHPQRQ ranking Plot highest, +DPOHW as ranking Character highest,,SKHJHQHLDLQ7DXULV ranking Thought highest, and 'HDWKRID6DOHVPDQ ranking Plot and Character equally high. Academics can debate how much any given production stresses a given element, but it makes sense to me that some productions emphasize Spectacle more than Aristotle could have ever imagined. (0DUN+DUYH\3URIHVVRURI/LJKWLQJDQG6RXQG 'HVLJQ8QLYHUVLW\RI0LQQHVRWD'XOXWK ) :KDWSOD\VGLGKHXVHDVKLVUROHPRGHO" The classical Greek drama of Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides, and Aristophanes. :KDWHVVHQWLDOHOHPHQWPXVWEHSUHVHQWIRUDSOD\WRKDYHGUDPDWLFDFWLRQ" &RQIOLFW between balanced opposing forces. These forces create the obstacles and complications necessary to generate the action. A character comes upon an obstacle to his desire (VXSHUREMHFWLYH) and attempts to overcome that obstacle by a dramatic action-- a PRPHQW. Sometimes he is successful; other times not. The play moves from moment-to-moment until it reaches the climax. This course of dramatic action, and the tension which it creates, does not necessity lead to an outburst of anger or violence. In great plays, such as Shaw's 6W-RDQ, "the fullness of joy, exultation, grief," to borrow John Crowther's phrase, is often the result of overcoming, or failing to overcome, an impossible hurdle. A great deal, if not all, of the world's great dramatic literature is constructed in this manner. (LO SURIHVVRUH) :KDWDUHWKHWKUHHEDVLFW\SHVRIFRQIOLFWIRXQGLQZHVWHUQGUDPD" Conflict between ... 1. Man and the Universe (God, the elements), 2. Man and Man, 3. Man and Himself. :KDWLVWKHGLIIHUHQFHEHWZHHQDSOD\ VVWRU\OLQHDQGLWVSORW" A play's VWRU\ is what happens in the drama, the SORW of the play is how the playwright presents that story to the audience. :KDWLVWKHGLIIHUHQFHEHWZHHQDFOLPDFWLFSORWDQGDQHSLVRGLFSORW" In a FOLPDFWLFSORW, the plot begins near the end of the story. The action involves a limited number of characters, unfolds in one or two days, and typically occurs in one location. The climactic play evolved in ancient Greece (5th Century BC) and was popular during the French Rennaisance (1630 to 1700) and the early Realistic Period (1890 to 1940). In an HSLVRGLFSORW, the plot begins near the beginning of the story. The action typically involves a large cast, unfolds over a number of months (or years) and is broken into many short scenes staged in numerous different locations. The episodic patten is primarily seen in the work of Shakespeare (1564 to 1616) and the early 19th century Romantic Playwrights :KDWLVWKHFOLPD[" The point of highest dramatic tension where the conflict of the play is resolved. $&ULVLV" A mini-climax which falls near the end of each act (except the last act) or scene. :KHUHGRHVWKHFOLPD[QRUPDOO\IDOOLQWKHVWUXFWXUHRIDSOD\" Near the end of the last act. :K\LVWKHUHDPLQLFOLPD[ FULVLV DWWKHHQGRIHDFKDFW" To make sure the audience returns after the intermission. :KDWPDNHVDFKDUDFWHUGUDPDWLF" Dramatic characters are extraordinary, they are "larger than life." Historically, major characters in classical tragedy have been kings, queens, generals, or a member of a noble familiy. They have also represented either the best, or worst, of human behavior. :KDWDUHWKHIRXUSODLQVRUOHYHOVRIGUDPDWLFFKDUDFWHUL]DWLRQ" 1. Physical, 2. Social / economic, 3. Psychological, 4. Ethical / moral. :KDWLVDFKDUDFWHU VVSLQHRUPDMRUREMHFWLYH" A character's spine, using Stanislavski's terminology, is the character's major goal or super-objective. :KDWDUHWKHWKUHHGUDPDWLFWHFKQLTXHVDSOD\ZULJKWFDQXVHWRUHYHDOKLV FKDUDFWHUVWRWKHDXGLHQFH" 1. By what the character says, 2. By what he does, and 3. By what other character's say about him. :KDWDGGLWLRQDOWHFKQLTXHVFDQEHXVHGE\DVFUHHQRUUDGLRSOD\ZULJKW" Both film and television writers can, through subjective camera angles and voice overs, go into the mind of a character, and relate his thoughts directly to the audience. :KDWLVDSOD\ZULJKW VPDMRUPHDQVRIH[SUHVVLRQ" Dialogue. :KDWDUHWKHVL[IXQFWLRQVRIGUDPDWLFGLDORJXH" 1. Give information, 2. Reveal character, 3. Direct attention (foreshadow), 4. Reveal theme or ideas, 5. Establish the level of reality, and 6. Establish the tempo and rhythm of the play. +RZFDQDSOD\ZULJKWUHYHDOKLVGUDPD VWKHPHWRWKHDXGLHQFH" There are two techniques. 1. By literally becoming a character in the play, and directly relating his ideas to the audience, or 2. By implying these ideas through the plot and the dramatic characters he creates. The playwright normally builds his theme around "universal issues," such as love, family, power, greed, betrayal, friendship. :KDWZLOOKDSSHQLIWKHSDFHRIDSHUIRUPDQFHLVWRRVORZ" The audience will become restless and lose interest in the production. 7RRIDVW" The audience will empathize with the actor, not the character, and will become exhausted. The pace of a show is more likely to drag (be too slow) than to be too fast. :KDWGRHVDEUHDNLQWKHUK\WKPRIDVKRZLQGLFDWHWRWKHDXGLHQFH" That there has been a missed cue, or a dropped line. +RZGRHVDSOD\ZULJKWGHWHUPLQHDSOD\ VVSHFWDFOHYDOXH" By his choice of characters, settings, action, and time of day. Theatre Home Page E-mail questions and comments to Larry Wild at [email protected]. Last updated: February 12, 2004 Copyright © 1995-2004 by Larry Wild, Northern State University, Aberdeen, SD 57401 7KH7H[W 'UDPDWLF*HQUHV 5HVRXUFHV 7H[W Wilson and Goldfarb. 7KHDWHU 7KH/LYHO\$UW, 4th edition: Chapter 8, pages 173 - 191. :KDWLVJHQUH" *HQUH is a French word meaning "category" or "type." The choice of JHQUH reflect's the writer's SRLQWRIYLHZ towards his VXEMHFW. The two oldest JHQUHV, dating back to the fifth century BC, are tragedy and comedy. 8VLQJWKHFODVVLFDOGHILQLWLRQZKDWLVWKHGLIIHUHQFHEHWZHHQDWUDJHG\DQGD FRPHG\" In a WUDJHG\, the protagonist goes down in defeat, in a FRPHG\ he overcomes the dramatic obstacle and attains his major objective. :KDWLVWKHGLIIHUHQFHEHWZHHQWKHSURWDJRQLVWDQGWKHDQWDJRQLVW" The SURWDJRQLVW is the principal character in a play; the DQWDJRQLVW is his primary opponent: the dramatic obstacle. :KDWLVWKHPDMRUREMHFWLYH" ThePDMRUREMHFWLYH, also known as the VSLQH, is the major character's primary desire or goal. If the character reaches that goal, the play (by definition) is a comedy. If he doesn't, it's a tragedy. :KDWLVWKHSRSXODUGHILQLWLRQRIDGUDPD" A serious, but not tragic, play dealing with middle, or lower class characters. A ERXUJHRLV drama. $FRPHG\" A light amusing play with a happy ending. Often a farce. :KDWLVWKHGLIIHUHQFHEHWZHHQKLJKFRPHG\DQGORZFRPHG\" The subject of KLJKFRPHG\ is usually serious and provokes "thoughtful laughter". The action is both possible and probable and the comedy grows out of the character, not the situation. It is usually a realistic portrayal of life. The objective of ORZFRPHG\ is "riotous laughter." The action is possible, but not very probable and the play is dominated by situation (plot), not character. It calls for little or no thought, and is only believable for the moment. /LVWWKHUXQJVRQWKH/DGGHURI&RPHG\ 1. Comedy of ideas (satire). 2. Comedy of character, 3. Comedy of wit, 4. Comedy of situation, 5. Comedy of pain (slapstick), The bottom three rungs -- the comedy of pain, situation, and wit -- are generally considered ORZFRPHG\. The top two rungs, the comedy of character and idea, are KLJKFRPHG\. :KDWLVDIDUFH" A wildly humorous play which emphasizes situation (or plot) over character or idea. A farce is low comedy. $PHORGUDPD" A serious drama with a trivial theme. The conflict is usually between the forces of good and evil. The excitement comes through physical action: chases, fist fights, and shoot outs. Many of the melodramas of the nineteenth century included a musical (hence PHORdrama) score. $ERXUJHRLVGUDPD" A serious play which deals with the domestic problems of the middle and lower class. It is today, the most popular form of serious drama. $GRFXGUDPD" A GRFXGUDPD dramatizes an actual event often using real names, dates, and places and generally drawing its text from court room transcripts or committee hearing reports. The 1925 John Scopes "Monkey Trial" in Dayton, Tenessee, inspired Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee's ,QKHULWWKH:LQG (1955). 0XVLFDOWKHDWUH" x 2SHUD A dramatic work which is entirely sung. x 0XVLFDO A dramatic work which includes both dialogue and song. x 'DQFH A dramatic work which tells a story (or creates a mood) through music and movement. Theatre Home Page E-mail questions and comments to Larry Wild at [email protected]. Last updated: February 12, 2004 Copyright © 1995-2004 by Larry Wild, Northern State University, Aberdeen, SD 57401 3OD\ZULWLQJ 7KH3URFHVV 5HVRXUFHV ,QWHUQHW The Playwriting Seminars -- online course in dramatic writing E-script, the internet's scriptwriting workshop 17 Surefire Ways to get Your Script Rejected Copyright for the High School/Amateur Theatre Producer The U.S. Copyright Office :KHUHGRHVDSOD\ZULJKWJHWKLVLGHDV" From his own personal experiences, from a news story, from history. :KDWLVDVFHQDULR" A plot outline. It is used by the playwright to develop the plays internal structure. :KHQLQWKHZULWLQJSURFHVVLVWKHGLDORJXHGHYHORSHG" Writing the dialogue is one of the last steps in the script development process. :KDWW\SHRIVKRZVDUHQRUPDOO\ZULWWHQRQVSHF" Most Broadway and off-Broadway scripts. A few screenplays, such as Joe Eszterhas' %DVLF,QVWLQFW (1992), which was bought by TriStar for three million dollars, are also written on spec. 2QRUGHU" Almost all television scripts, many movies, and the book, or dialogue, for most musicals. +RZGRHVDSOD\ZULJKWVHOOKLVVFULSW" Most playwrights market their work through an agency. Some send their work directly to a regional or educational theatre. Scripts sent to a Broadway producer, or a film studio, will normally be returned unopened and unread. Because of the difficulty in getting a script mounted, some playwrights will produce their own work. They will rent a small fifty seat theatre, put a couple small ads in the paper and count on good reviews and "word of mouth" to draw an audience. Budgets for these independent, non-union shows range from $ 6,000 to $ 12,000. The average for a six week, eighteen performance run is about $ 8,000. Typically, the largest budget item is the theatre rental. Charging $ 10 to $ 15 a seat, the producer / playwright, with a little bit of luck, may break even. But more likely he will lose between $ 50 (for a 10 minute play) and $ 3000. The playwright is gambling on good reviews that may lead to a major production and publication. The chance of this happening is better than winning the lottery-- but not a whole lot better. :KDWLVWKHIXQFWLRQRIDQDUWLVW VDJHQW" The agent's job is to bring a new play to the attention of a producer. +RZGRHVKHHDUQKLVLQFRPH" He earns his ten percent when the script is first optioned, and then produced. The agent will not earn his income until the author's work is presented to a paying audience. :KDWLVWKHVL]HRIWKHILOPWHOHYLVLRQVFULSWPDUNHW" Between 4,500 and 5,000 television and screenplays are produced each year. Nearly five times that number of scripts are registered yearly with The Dramatists Guild, the union representing the playwright. :KDWIDFWRUVFDQPDNHDSOD\PDUNHWDEOH" The play should have a small cast (for example: 3 men, 2 women), contain a little humor, require a single set, and use contemporary, non-period costumes. :KRKROGVWKHFRS\ULJKWWRDSOD\" The author. The producer does not purchase the play only the exclusive performance rights for a limited amount of time. +RZORQJFDQDSOD\EHLQFRS\ULJKW" In October 1998 the 6RQQ\%RQR&RS\ULJKW7HUP([WHQVLRQ$FW was passed by Congress and signed into law by President Clinton extending the maximum copyright period for works written before January 1, 1978 from 75 to \HDUV. Those works written before 1922 which have passed into the public domain will stay in the public domain. A work created in 1923 will remain under copyright for 95 years, are till January 1, 2019. Scripts developed after January 1, 1978 are under copyright for the OLIHRIWKHDXWKRUSOXV\HDUV :KDWULJKWVDUHLQFOXGHGLQWKHFRS\ULJKW" All rights. These include publication, performance, adaption, and translation. :KRRZQVWKHULJKWVWRDILOPRUWHOHYLVLRQVFULSW" When a studio or production company purchases a screenplay from the writer, they buy the entire property, including the copyright. :KDWLVSXEOLFGRPDLQ" When a script is no longer under copyright, it is said to be in the public domain-- owned by the public. American plays written before 1922 are in the public domain and can be performed, adapted, copied, etc. without receiving permission from the playwright. :KDWLVUR\DOW\" The money paid to the author (or copyright holder) for permission to perform their work. The royalty fee for a commercial production of a play is a percentage, usually between 5 and 7 percent, of the box office gross. The fee for a non-commercial production is determined by the playwright's agent. :KLFKZLOOEHKLJKHUWKHUR\DOW\IRUDQRQFRPPHUFLDOSURGXFWLRQRID1HLO 6LPRQFRPHG\RUD5RGJHUVDQG+DPPHUVWHLQPXVLFDO" The Rodgers and Hammerstein musical. The royalty for three performances of a Neil Simon comedy, such as 7KH2GG&RXSOH will be under $300. The royalty for three performances of a Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, such as 2NODKRPD, will be between $1000 and $1500. A play usually has only one author, a musical may have as many as five. :KDWLVWKHOHJDOGHILQLWLRQRIDSHUIRUPDQFH" Anytime a work is presented before an audience. An audience is anyone watching the show who is not directly involved in the production. :KDWLVDERRWOHJJHGSURGXFWLRQ" Performing a copyrighted work without first receiving a "license" (permission) from the playwright (or owner). The Copyright Act (Title 17 of the U.S. Code) provides for a statutory fine of $ 50,000.00 for the first infringement or performance. The presenter may also be sued for damages by the author or the copyright holder. +RZGRHVWKHSOD\ZULJKW RUKLVDJHQW OHDUQRIDSLUDWHGSURGXFWLRQRIRQH RIKLVZRUNV" Through stories printed in local and regional newspapers. 6RPHDGYLFHIURP*HUDO\Q+RUWRQ (JKRUWRQ#WLDFQHW),DSOD\ZULJKWRQWKH 7KHDWUH'LVFXVVLRQ/LVW Take yourself and your art seriously. Ask for what you need as an artist -- money, advice, allies, readings. Don't expect encouragement. There are already more good plays than can be produced, so nobody's eager to nurture yours. On the other hand, nobody else in the world can write the plays you would, so don't let disinterest discourage you. The road to accomplishment runs through a wilderness of rejection. A "good school" is a big help. Not for instruction, but for contacts and resources, and because it gives you the best chance to team up with talented young acting and directing peers,--- especially those with good luck, generous dispositions, and family money. Twenty years from now you want to be part of a "new" movement in theatre with some of these same people, having built a common vocabulary from mutual inspiration and the hard work of learning the skills to communicate to the audience. Whatever you do, get your stuff read, workshopped, performed. Direct other writers' stuff. Learn dramatic and comedy construction from production, not in a classroom or from books. (Books are important, knowledge is important, but for enriching the content rather than learning the craft that goes into your work). Don't be afraid to make mistakes, be bad, fail-- but try to do that in a forgiving environment that finds even your failures interesting. A nurturing environment is 90% of the battle. If you have founded a tiny theatre that considers you their resident Shakespeare, or are in a town where the reviewer for the :HHNO\1HZV believes that you are the next Ibsen, stay there and grow. Don't expect to make a living in the theatre unless you are a genius entrepeneur as well as a dramatic genius. Theatre Home Page E-mail questions and comments to Larry Wild at [email protected]. Last updated: July 8, 2003 © 1995-2003 by Larry Wild, Northern State University, Aberdeen, SD 57401 )LOP+LVWRU\ 5HVRXUFHV 2XWVLGHUHDGLQJ Ben Hall. 7KH%HVW5HPDLQLQJ6HDWV. New York: Bramhall House. 1961. Leslie Halliwell. 7KH)LOPJRHU V&RPSDQLRQ. New York: Avon Books. 1977 David Robinson. )URP3HHS6KRZWRWKH3DODFH. New York: Columbia University Press. 1996. Robert Stanley. 7KH&HOOXORLG(PSLUH. New York: Hasting House. 1978. )LOPV Film titles are linked to their entry in the The Internet Movie Database. 7KH%LUWKRID1DWLRQ. Directed by D. W. Griffith. 1915. *RQH:LWK7KH:LQG. Directed by Victor Fleming. 1939. &LWL]HQ.DQH. Directed by Orson Welles. 1941. ,QWHUQHW WideScreen Museum. From Cinerama to Super Panavision. Internet Movie Database. A database of more than 130,000 movies. The Palace: Classic Films Engaging and informative articles on movies and filmmaking. American Film Institute's Top 100 American Films of the 20th Century Some Enchanted Evenings: American Picture Palaces. A visit to the great movie palaces... Cinema Treasurers: The ultimate guide to Classic Movie Theatres... All film titles are linked to their entry in the The Internet Movie Database. :KDW$PHULFDQLQYHQWRULVFUHGLWHGZLWKWKH GHYHORSPHQWRIWKHPRWLRQSLFWXUHFDPHUD" 7KRPDV$OYD(GLVRQ (1847-1931) demonstrated the (a primitive film viewer) at his West .LQHWRVFRSH %ODFN0DULD: Orange, New Jersey lab in 1889, and applied for a Edison's first studio patent for both the .LQHWRJUDSK (Edison's earliest West Orange, NJ movie camera) and the .LQHWRVFRSH in 1891. The %ODFN 0DULD, built in 1892 was Edison's first studio. :KHQGLGWKHILUVWFRPPHUFLDO.LQHWRVFRSHSDUORURSHQ LQ1HZ . Ten machines were placed in a penny arcade at .LQHWRVFRSH3DUORU 1155 Broadway. A customer could view a short 20 in New York City seconds to a minute film for only a nickel. .LQHWRVFRSH 3DUORUV soon began to open through out the United States. :KHQZHUHILOPVILUVWSURMHFWHGLQD1HZ . Koster & Bial's Music Hall included Edison's latest marvel: 7KH9LWDVFRSH (a film projector), as the final act of its vaudeville program. :KDWZDVD1LFNHORGHRQ" A small (usually under 100 seat), family owned and operated, movie house. The first 1LFNHORGHRQ opened in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in June 1905. They tended to have continuous daily showings of a few (three or four) short "feature" films. These theatres attracted a wide clientele which included women and children. According to Eileen Bower's 7KH7UDQVIRUPDWLRQRI&LQHPD 1LFNHORGHRQ, Pittsburgh, PA (University of California Press, 1994), there were 8,000 American 1LFNHORGHRQV by 1908. :KDWZDVWKHQDPHRI$EHUGHHQ VILUVWPRYLHKRXVH" The %LMRX :KHQGLGLWRSHQ" . The opening show included four short films -- +HQ3HFNHG +XVEDQG, &KLOGLVK0DWFK, 5XVVLDQ-XVWLFH, and 2Q$+ROLGD\ -- which were shown continuously from 3 to 5 and 7:30 to 11pm. Admission was ten cents. :KHUHZDVLWORFDWHG" In the 600 block of south Main. The %LMRX lasted about six months at that location. It reopened in August 1907 at 19 South Main (now the parking lot north of the 'DNRWD3UDLUH0XVHXP) where it remained active, under a variety of names (6WUDQG6WDWH:RUOG), until the late 50's. After nearly 50 years as a movie theatre it became the 6SRUWVPDQ%DU. It burned to the ground on July 1, 1973. :KDWLVFRQVLGHUHGWKHILUVW$PHULFDQPRYLHZLWKDSORW" 7KH*UHDW7UDLQ5REEHU\ (1903). It was directed for the Edison company by Edwin S. Porter (1869-1941), America's first notable film director. In 14 scenes, bandits break into the railway office, tie up the hapless telegraph operator, rob a train, and disappear into the woods. The operator's daughter shows up at the office and unties her father. He organizes a possee which chases after and over takes the villains. There is a gun fight. All of the robbers are killed. What was revolutionary about Porter's technique was the way he shifted scenes between the bound telegraph operator in the train station and the escaping bandits so that parallel stories developed simultaneously. Other directors had presented multiple scenes sequentially before, but their films played like condensed versions of a stage play, 7KH*UHDW7UDLQ5REEHU\ played like a movie. Link to Teddy Blue's *UHDW7UDLQ5REEHU\ Page. He illustrates the story of this early western movie with 20 frames from the film. You can watch the film and read Edison's original description at the /LEUDU\ RI&RQJUHVV' *UHDW7UDLQ5REEHU\3DJH. :KDWW\SHRIILOPZDVLW" Western. :KHUHZDVLWVKRW" In the wild's of New Jersey, the home of the Edison Labs. +RZORQJGLGLWUXQ" About 12 minutes. :KDWLVWKHLPSRUWDQFHRIWKH1HZ It proved to the (GLVRQ0DQXIDFWXULQJ&RPSDQ\, which controlled the American film industry, that an audience would watch a film which ran longer than 32 minutes (2 reels or 2000' of film). 4XR 9DGLV" (1912), the Italian Biblical epic, based on Henryk Sienkiewicz's (winner of the 1905 1REHO3UL]HIRU/LWHUDWXUH) 1895 novel, had a running time of two hours. This spectacular film, which included chariot races, persecuted Christians battling lions, Nero's extravagant lifestyle and Rome going up in flames was imported in April 1913 by a commercial producer and shown at New York's $VWRU7KHDWUH for 22 consecutive weeks. Admission price: $ 1.50. :KHQGLGWKHILOPLQGXVWU\PRYHIURPWKHHDVWFRDVWWR&DOLIRUQLD" 1913. :K\" Because there are more "bright and sunny days" in California than there are in New Jersey. Remember, at this time, all films were shot out doors. Some have also suggested that production moved to the west coast to escape the "goons" the Edison company used to enforce its rules. :KDWILOPLVFRQVLGHUHGWKHILUVW$PHULFDQVFUHHQPDVWHUSLHFH" 7KH%LUWKRID1DWLRQ (1915). The three hour ten minute film, based on 7KH&ODQVPDQ by Thomas Dixon, deals with the American Civil War and the rise of the Ku Klux Klan during the Reconstruction. :KRGLUHFWHGLW" 'DYLG:DUN ': *ULIILWK (1875-1948). This innovative pioneer has been called the "father of film technique" and the "Shakespeare of the screen." Link to a Mini Biography on the ,QWHUQHW0RYLH 'DWD%DVH. :KHQ" 1915. :KDWZDVWKHQDPHRIWKHILUVWVRXQGPRYLH" Warner Brother's 7KH-D]]6LQJHU (1927), the first "talking film," had only a few patches of synchronized dialogue and a couple of songs. Most of the film was silent. :KRGLGLWVWDU" $O-ROVRQ (1886-1950), was a major Broadway attraction when he starred in this first talking picture. :KHQZDVLWPDGH" It opened at New York's :DUQHU7KHDWUH in October . The first "all talking movie," /LJKWVRI1HZ $0RYLH3DODFH :KDWZDVWKH5R[\7KHDWUH" The 5R[\7KHDWUH was considered "7KH &DWKHGUDORIWKH0RWLRQ3LFWXUH." It had a seating capacity of 6,214 (making it the 5R[\7KHDWUH: world's largest), an orchestra pit which could New York City, NY hold a 110 piece symphony, a fully equipped stage with a 70 foot wide proscenium arch and a 5 manual (keyboard), 34 rank Kimball pipe organ. Construction cost-- over ten million dollars. :KHUHZDVLWORFDWHG" At the corner of 50th Street and 7th Avenue in 1HZ :KHQGLGLWRSHQ" 0DUFK . The 5R[\, New York's grandest movie palace closed in March 1960, and was torn down that summer. An office building now sits on the site. Most large communities had at least one major "movie palace," like the )R[ in Atlanta, Detroit and St. Louis, the &KLFDJR in Chicago, *UDXPDQ V&KLQHVH in Hollywood, and the 3DUDPRXQW in Brooklyn. Many of these theatres, like New Yorks' 5R[\, were torn down. A few have become performing arts centers (such as the 6W/RXLV7KHDWUH, now known as 3RZHOO+DOO, the home of the St. Louis Symphony) or the home of a local community theatre. :KHQGLG$EHUGHHQ V&DSLWRO7KHDWUHRSHQ" -DQXDU\ . When the 900 seat theatre opened, the $EHUGHHQ $PHULFDQ1HZV proclaimed it to be "one of the best appointed and most beautiful theatres in the northwest." :KDWZDVLWVILUVWSUHVHQWDWLRQ" A live performance of a touring production of Michael Arlen's 7KH *UHHQ+DW. The play, considered extremely shocking in its day, tells the story of a bride whose husband commits suicide on their honeymoon. The audience discovers in the last act that the husband killed himself because he had a venereal disease. The first film shown on the &DSLWRO7KHDWUH's silver screen was .LG%RRWV (1926) starring Eddie Cantor and Clara Bow. The theatre screened its last film: 5RERFRS in 1990 and became the home of the $EHUGHHQ &RPPXQLW\7KHDWUH in 1993. +RZPDQ\RWKHUGRZQWRZQPRYLHKRXVHVZHUHLQRSHUDWLRQZKHQLW RSHQHG" )LYH Four theatres (3ULQFHVV, 5LDOWR, /\ULF, and 6WDWH) were located on south Main street, the fifth, the 2USKHXP7KHDWUH, was one block east on south Lincoln. The four Main Street theatres were small, store front houses, the 2USKHXP, which opened in 1913 as the 1HZ $EHUGHHQ, was built as a legitimate theatre with an adequate stage. Of these six theatres the structure of only two, the &DSLWRO and the /\ULF remain. The &DSLWRO is now the home of the $EHUGHHQ &RPPXQLW\7KHDWUH and current resident of the /\ULF is Pauer Sound. The remaining four sites are either office buildings or parking lots. :KDWPRYLHGRPDQ\LQWKHLQGXVWU\FRQVLGHU$PHULFD VJUHDWHVWILOP" &LWL]HQ.DQH, a film which parallels the life of newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst. :KRZDVWKHGLUHFWRU" 2UVRQ:HOOHV (1915-1985). Welles arrived in New York in 1934 as a member of Katherine Cornell's road company. He and John Housman (1902-1988) joined the Federal Theatre Project in 1935, and in 1937 they organized the Mercury Theatre. On Sunday nights, when the theatre was dark, Welles and his company of actors broadcast radio adaptions of "classical" literature on the CBS 0HUFXU\7KHDWUHRQWKH$LU. In October of 1938, Welles and his company created a panic with their broadcast of H. G. Welles' :DU RIWKH:RUOGV. Now famous, RKO contracted with the group to produce four films. Only one, &LWL]HQ.DQH, was released. That film was a commercial failure which lost $ 150,000. :KHQZDVLWSURGXFHG" 1941. :KDW$PHULFDQILOPKROGVWKHGLVWLQFWLRQRIJHQHUDWLQJWKHKLJKHVW GRPHVWLFER[RIILFHJURVV" James Cameron's 7LWDQLF (1997: $ 601 million), followed by 6WDU :DUV (1977, reissued 1997: $ 461 million) now known as 6WDU:DUV (SLVRGH,9$1HZ+RSH. Most agree that America's most popular film, based on box office gross adjusted for inflation, is *RQH:LWK 7KH:LQG (1939). Statistics are from MOVIEWEB:Top 50 All Time Highest Grossing Movies. :K\GLGPDQ\VPDOOQHLJKERUKRRGPRYLHWKHDWUHVFORVHLQWKHODWHIRUWLHV DQGHDUO\ILIWLHV" Starting in 1948 a large portion of the traditional film audience began staying home and watching their movies on WHOHYLVLRQ. During World War II approximately 85 million people visited a movie theatre at least once a week, by the mid 50's that number had dropped to 42 million. In 1991 weekly attendance was down to a little less than 19 million. +RZPDQ\LQGRRUPRYLHWKHDWUHVZHUHVWLOOLQRSHUDWLRQLQ$EHUGHHQ GXULQJWKHVXPPHURI " )RXU. The 2USKXP, &DSLWRO, /\ULF, and :RUOG. The 2USKXP and the &DSLWRO were the first run houses. The /\ULF and :RUOG were open only on weekends, and showed films which had been released one or more years before. These four theatres plus the 6WDU/LJKW'ULYHLQ, which opened in 1949, screened 22 films a week during July 1955. 7KHVXPPHURI " 7ZR Only the &DSLWRO and 2USKXP were still open in July 1959. These two theatres plus the drive-in displayed only 9 films a week. +RZLQWKHHDUO\ VGLGWKHPRYLHLQGXVWU\DWWHPSWWRZLQEDFNWKHLU DXGLHQFH" The industry used four techniques to try to win back their audience. 1. Most black and white production was phased out in favor of color. 2. More big budget, large scale epic films were produced. 3. There was an attempt to "pull the audience" into the picture. 4. There was a more liberal use of sex, "adult" themes and language, and nudity. :KDWZDVWKHPRVWVXFFHVVIXO'PRYLH" +RXVHRI:D[ (1953) staring Vincent Price. The short lived (3 year: 1952 to 1954) ' craze began with the release of Arch Oboler's %ZDQD'HYLO in November 1952. Over 5000 American movie houses were equipped to show the approximately 45 1DWXUDO9LVLRQ (3-D) films. Several major movies which were shot in ', such as .LVV 0H.DWH (1953) and Alfred Hitchkock's 'LDO 0IRU0XUGHU (1954), were released "flat." The ' process was based on VWHUHRVFRSLF VLJKW: the fact that the left eye and the right eye see slightly different images and that the mind blends these two images to create the third dimension. A 1DWXUDO9LVLRQ film, used a special two-lens camera which recorded the two images on two strips of film. In the theatre, these two images were displayed using two synchronized projectors and viewed by the audience through special Polaroid glasses. Link to a 1950s illustration showing the 6HFUHWRIWKH*UHDWHVW7KULOOLQ0RYLHV :KDWZDVWKHGLIIHUHQFHEHWZHHQ&LQHUDPDDQG&LQHPD6FRSH" Both &LQHUDPD and &LQHPD6FRSH attempted to "pull the audience" into the action of the film by projecting the movie on a huge screen. The deeply curved &LQHUDPD screen at New York's %URDGZD\7KHDWUH was 78 feet wide by 26 feet tall -- more than 2000 square feet. The average 7KLVLV&LQHUDPD poster &LQHPDVFRSH screen installed in the local "movie palace" was about 42x16 feet (nearly 700 square feet), considerably larger than the 20x15 foot (300 square foot) sheet it replaced &LQHUDPD, introduced in 1952 with 7KLV,V&LQHUDPD, used a special three-lens camera which recorded three images on three strips of film and required three sets of projectors to exhibit its very wide (2.59 x 1) image on a deeply curved screen. Only eight films were produced using the three film strip process during &LQHUDPD's ten year life. These films were shown in 100 theatres, world wide. +RZWKH:HVW :DV:RQ (1962), a two hour forty-five minute all star epic western, was both the last film produced in &LQHUDPD, and the first, using the three film strip process, to have a plot. [Link to see a line drawing of the process and to compare the three images on film with the combined image on the wide screen] &LQHPD6FRSH, introduced with 7KH5REH in 1953, used a standard 35mm projector with a special anamorphic lens to project its wide (2.55 x 1) image on a nearly flat screen. Today "Scoped" films are shot in 3DQD9LVLRQ (2.35 x 1), the anamorphic process which replaced Fox's &LQHPD6FRSH in the late 60's. [Link to compare the &LQHPD6FRSH image on film with the image projected on the screen] The DVSHFWUDWLR (width x height) of a "flat" film in the 1950s was 1.33 x 1, the same as television today. Presently, the aspect ratio of a "flat," wide-screen. non-scoped film is 1.85 x 1. If the screen at the &LQHPD is 16' tall, a wide-screen film would be 26 feet wide and a "Scoped" film would be be 38 feet wide. If an episode of 1<3'%OXH was shown at the &LQHPD, the image would be only 21 feet wide. Above is a scene from the famous roller coaster ride in 7KLV,V &LQHUDPD with a frame from Fred Zinnemann 's +LJK1RRQ (1952) superimposed over the center. (Note the vertical lines in the &LQHUDPD image where the three film strips join) With the enormous disparity in image size and the difference between a monophonic and seven channel stereophonic sound it is not difficult to understand why &LQHUDPD created such a sensation. :KDWZDVWKHIXQFWLRQRIWKH+D\ V2IILFH" The 0RWLRQ3LFWXUH3URGXFHUVDQG'LVWULEXWHUV$VVRFLDWLRQ (MPPDA), headed by Will Hays, was created to head off government censorship by establishing a self-administered, industry wide, "code of decency." The &RGH, which ruled Hollywood production from 1934 to 1968 stated... 1. Methods of crime shall not be explicitly presented. 2. Illegal drug traffic must never be presented. 3. The sanctity of the institution of marriage and the home shall be upheld. 4. Excessive and lustful kissing, lustful embracing, suggestive postures and gestures, are not to be shown. 5. Seduction or rape should be never more than suggested. They are never the proper subject for comedy. 6. Sex perversion or any inference to it is forbidden. 7. Venereal diseases are not subjects for motion pictures. 8. Pointed profanity (this includes the words God, Lord, Jesus, Christ unless used reverently Hell, S.O.B., damn, "Gawd"), or other profane or vulgar expressions, however used, is forbidden. 9. Indecent or undue exposure is forbidden. 10. Ministers of religion should not be used as comic characters or as villains. :KDWZDVWKHILUVWVXFFHVVIXOILOPWREHUHOHDVHGZLWKRXWWKH3URGXFWLRQ &RGHVHDO" 7KH0RRQLV%OXH (1953). It was denied the Code's "Seal of approval" because the script included the words "virgin," "mistress," and "pregnant." The director, Otto Preminger, treated these matters as a great joke suggesting that seduction is an amusing and acceptable pastime for a single male. :KHQZDVWKHSUHVHQWILOPUDWLQJV\VWHPLQWURGXFHG" November 1968 :KDWLVWKHPHDQLQJRI*3*3*5DQG1&" * General audience: All ages admitted. 3* Parental guidance suggested: Some material may not be suitable for children. 3* Parents strongly cautioned: Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13. 5 Restricted: Under 17 requires an accompanying parent or guardian. 1& No one 17 and under admitted. Patently adult. Children are not permitted. In 2002, according to the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), of the 20 highest grossing films, there was... x 1 (5%) films rated *, x 6 (30 %) films rated 3*, x 13 (65%) rated 3*, x 0 (0%) rated 5, and x 0 (0%) rated 1&. A similar rating system, known as the TV Parental Guideline is used in television. :KLFKUDWLQJGRSURGXFHUVPRVWGHVLUH" 3*. In 2002, 65 percent of the 20 highest grossing films carried this ratings. The most successful ($ 235 million) 5 rated film is %HYHUO\+LOOV&RS (1984). :K\" Film producers tend to target their product to the 12 to 17 year old crowd, the demographic group which makes up 16% of the movie going audience. Theatre Home Page E-mail questions and comments to Larry Wild at [email protected]. Last updated: February 25, 2004 Copyright © 1995-2004 by Larry Wild, Northern State University, Aberdeen, SD 57401 )LOP3URGXFWLRQ 5HVRXUFHV 2XWVLGHUHDGLQJ Terence St. John Marner. 'LUHFWLQJ0RWLRQ3LFWXUHV London: Tantivy Press. 1972. Paula Parisi. 7LWDQLFDQGWKH0DNLQJRI-DPHV&DPHURQ. New York: Newmarket Press. 1997. John Quick and Tom LaBau. +DQGERRNRI)LOP3URGXFWLRQ. New York: Macmillan. 1972. Bob Thomas, editor. 'LUHFWRUVLQ$FWLRQ. New York: The Bobbs Merrill Company, Inc. 1973. ,QWHUQHW 'UHZ V6FULSW25DPD. One of the most complete film script archive on the Internet. Film production is a three step process: (1) 3UH3URGXFWLRQ (Developing the script), (2) 3URGXFWLRQ (Shooting the script) and (3) 3RVW3URGXFWLRQ (Editing the film and adding the sound tracks). +RZGRHVWKHIRUPDWRIDVFUHHQSOD\GLIIHUIURPWKDWRIDVWDJHSOD\" A VFUHHQSOD\ is a cross between a novel and a play. It contains.... 1. A GHVFULSWLRQRIWKHVFHQH (INT. EXT.), WLPHRIGD\ (NIGHT, DAY) and DFWLRQ, 2. A description of the FRPSRVLWLRQ (LONG SHOT, CLOSE-UP, POV), and 3. The GLDORJXH spoken by the characters and 4. An indication of how the scenes are MRLQHG (DISSOLVE, FADE OUT). Link to an exerpt (Scene 11) from Lawrence Kasdan's 1979 screen play for 5DLGHUVRIWKH/RVW$UN (1981). The script is based on a "story" developed by producer George Lucas and Philip Kaufman. Following the cutting from the script is the same scene as it appeared in Campbell Black's 1981 tie-in book. :KRRZQVWKHULJKWVWRDVFUHHQSOD\WKHZULWHURUWKHSURGXFHUVWXGLR" The studio or production company. %ULHIO\RXWOLQHKRZDVFUHHQSOD\PD\HYROYHIURPDQLGHDWRDVKRRWLQJ VFULSW A film script evolves in a three step process. (1) The writer begins with an LGHD or concept. It is (2) fleshed out in an DGDSWLRQ (or story), a narrative describing how the concept will be adapted to the screen. The final step is (3) the actual development of the VFUHHQ SOD\ or shooting script. Each step my be developed by a different writer. :K\DUHPDQ\ILOPVEDVHGRQDGDSWLRQRIZHOONQRZQSOD\VRUQRYHOV" Film production is an extremely expensive operation. Most producers would prefer investing their money in a property with a proven track record: a book: 7KH&OLHQW (1994), &OHDUDQG3UHVHQW 'DQJHU (1994), *RQHZLWKWKH:LQG (1939) -- a play : $)HZ*RRG 0HQ (1992), ,QKHULWWKH:LQG (1960) -- or a television series: 0DYHULFN (1994) 7KH)XJLWLYH (1993)-- for example. All films are linked to their Internet Movie Database entry. :K\DUHIHZVFUHHQSOD\VSXEOLVKHG" Most publishers do not believe the general public can read and understand a film script. Crown Publishers in New York have printed two collections, edited by Sam Thomas, of the %HVW$PHULFDQ 6FUHHQ3OD\V. Some scripts are also available on the Web. Drew's Script-O-Rama is probably the most complete archive on the Internet. :KDWLVDWLHLQERRN" A novel based on the screen play. :KDWLVLWVIXQFWLRQ" To create excitement about the movie. Normally the tie- in book hits the market about the same time the film opens in "a theatre near you." The idea is, after you have seen the film, you will go out and buy the book. Because the tie-in book is being written at the approximately the same time as the film is being shot, scenes which have been left on the cutting room floor are often still in the novel. :KDWDUHWKHPDMRUSURGXFWLRQUHVSRQVLELOLWLHVRIWKHGLUHFWRU Set up the visual composition of each scene, as well as stage the action of the film... WKHGLUHFWRURISKRWRJUDSK\ The Director of Photography or Cinematographer puts the director's composition on film... WKHILOPHGLWRU" Piece the numerous shots together to create scenes. The editor is guided by the screen play and the director's notes. :KDWLVDVWRU\ERDUG"+RZLVLWXVHGLQWKHILOPPDNLQJSURFHVV" The VWRU\ERDUG is a series of drawings illustrating the shots outlined by the writer in the screen play. It is a communication link between the writer, director and cinematographer. %RQHV (2001) Storyboards by Marc Vena In the images on the left, the COP enters the building (top), and the camera PANs with him as he moves to the stairs (middle) and climbs to the second floor (bottom). Note the shape of the drawings -- %RQHV was a "scoped" film. :K\DUHILOPVQRWVKRWLQFKURQRORJLFDORUGHU" All films are shot out of sequence because it is more HIILFLHQW (cheaper). Normally, all scenes set in one location are shot before the production company moves to the next location. The first scenes filmed for James Cameron's 7LWDQLF were those staged in the North Atlantic: the underwater shots of the decaying bow of the actual 506 7LWDQLF, and the scenes with Brock Lovett (Bill Paxton) and Old Rose (Gloria Stuart) on the Russian research ship: .HOG\VK. The next month, September 1996, the company began principle photgraphy at the Fox Baja Studios. The first scenes shot [at Fox Baja] were in Rose and Cal's suite -- Rose unpacking her French impressionist paintings. Two days later. DiCaprio arrived on the set and for his first day of filming was charged with the formidable task of sketching Winslet's voluptuous form. She disrobed and posed -- impudent, like Manet's 2O\PSLD -- on an Empire devan. "Like Cleopatra" reads Cameron's script. (Paula Parisi. 7LWDQLFDQGWKH0DNLQJRI-DPHV&DPHURQ. pg. 117- 118) :KDWLVDQHVWDEOLVKLQJVKRW" A ORQJVKRW, usually an exterior, which establishs a scene's location. $PDVWHUVKRW" A non-committal (no center-of-interest) PHGLXPVKRW of the entire scene. $QRYHUWKHVKRXOGHUVKRW" A form of FORVHXS where character A (the center-of- interest) is seen over character B's shoulder. +RZPDQ\VHWXSVFRXOGEHXVHGWRVKRRWDVLPSOHWZRFKDUDFWHUGLDORJXH VFHQH" )LYH. A PDVWHUVKRW, two RYHUWKHVKRXOGHUVKRWV, and two individual FORVHXSV. There will probably be multiple takes of each setup. A simple two page dialogue scene, which will probably run two minutes on screen, may produce 3000 feet (33 minutes) of exposed film. Sixteen takes should produce adequate coverage for the editor. :KDWLVFRYHUDJH" Coverage refers to the number of different setups used to film a scene. The more coverage, the more film exposed, the more choices the editor has in assembling the final cut. :KDWLVDFRQWLQXLW\HUURU" Because the same scene is filmed more than once, there are often subtle differences between shots. A wine glass may be full in one take, and half empty when the scene is reshot from a different angle. When the editor cuts between these two takes, the level of the wine in the glass will magically rise and fall. This difference between these shots is a FRQWLQXLW\HUURU. :KDWLVDSURFHVVVKRW" Both a SURFHVV and a PDWW shot are forms of special visual effects (SFX). In a process shot, the actor performs in front of a blue (or green) screen. The scene's location is added during post production. Most scenes set in a moving vehicle (such as a cab) are process shots. Below is an establishing shot created by 0DWWH:RUOG'LJLWDO for 6ROGLHU (1998). The scene as shot on the sound stage. Note the blue screen back drop. The scene as it appeared on screen after the background was added in post production. $PDWWVKRW" A PDWW shot combines, through the magic of photography, a live actor and a painted enviornment to create a scene which does not exist. Today, the painting is usually done on a computer screen. Below is a composite long shot created by 0DWWH:RUOG'LJLWDO for 7KH7UXPDQ6KRZ(1998). The original scene as shot on the "back lot" of the studio. The scene as it appeared on the screen. The matte artist has added the upper stories to the buildings in Truman's home town of Seahaven. Also note the difference in the shape of the frame between 6ROGLHU and 7KH7UXPDQ6KRZ. 6ROGLHU was "scoped" and 7KH7UXPDQ6KRZ was shot flat. :K\DUHWKH\XVHG" Because they are less expensive. +RZPDQ\ZHHNVLVDW\SLFDOIHDWXUHILOPLQSURGXFWLRQ" (LJKWZHHNV. 48 days. The higher the budget, the more time can be spent in shooting the film. Roger Corman, the king of the low budget movie, shot the original 7KH/LWWOH6KRSRI+RUURUV (1960) on a borrowed set in one weekend (2 1/2 days). The production budget of an "average" film in 1997 was 60 million dollars with an additional 20 million for promotion. A summer "blockbuster" was budgeted at 150 million with two thirds ($ 100 million) spent on production, and one third on advertising. The production budget for John Cameron's 7LWDQLF (1997), which had a 6 month (163 day) shoot, has been reported to be 200 million dollars, making it Hollywood's most expensive movie. Cameron exposed 1.3 million feet of film (240 hours and 45 minutes) which was edited down to 3 hours, 14 minutes. +RZORQJGRHVLWWDNHWRVKRRWDQKRXUORQJWHOHYLVLRQDFWLRQDGYHQWXUH VKRZ" 6L[WRGD\V. A day normally begins at 6am and runs 11 to 13 hour long. It takes between 60 and 96 hours to produce 45 minutes of program content (for a 60 minute television show). To stay on budget, a movie company must complete approximately 2 1/2 minutes of film per day and a television production company must shoot between 5 and 7 minutes of film per day. &OHRSDWUD, the four hour mini-series broadcast by ABC during the May Sweeps 1999 was in production for 12 weeks and budgeted at $28 million. This breaks down to $ 7 million per hour of air time, or $2.3 million per week of filming. :KDWGRHVWKHILOPHGLWRUGR" The film editor takes the individual shots and assembles them into the scenes which will make up the final cut of the film. Up until the 1990's the film editor, often working with the director, usually cut and assembled the work print on a 0RYLROD flatbed editing desk. 0LFKDHO&KDVNHVFXWWLQJDILOPRQDPP0RYLRODIODWEHG Today the images on the film stock are transfered to videotape by the film lab, digitized and loaded onto the hard drive of a computer. The editor, using a software program such as Avid Film Composer, instead of physically cutting the film, electronically cuts and assembles the film on the screen of a computer monitor. 0LFKDHO&KDVNHVFXWVDILOPRQDFRPSXWHU Once the final cut has been assembled, it can be output to video tape for distribution to the electronic media: television, cable, and direct- to-video. For a theatrical release, the editing software will produce a "cut list" which will be used by the QHJDWLYHFXWWHU in the film lab. The cut and assembled negative will be used to make the exhibition prints which will be distributed to the local theatres. Michael Chaskes, a Los Angeles-based freelance film editor, believes that the editor is more than a "craftsman." The actual acts of operating a flatbed and cutting and splicing a workprint can be mastered by anyone in very little time. Even non-linear cutting on a computer requires fairly minimal training. It's the actual decision-making of cutting that's hard: for instance, how to turn 1,000' (or more) of raw coverage into a 100' scene that delivers the maximum emotional and storytelling impact that the material is capable of. It's not just cutting by numbers--"the long shot, then the over-the-shoulders, then the close-ups." It's a creative process. Maybe you play the whole thing in the master shot. Or the whole thing in a series of close-ups. Or maybe you cut together any number of angles in any number of ways. It's a process requiring intense creativity, and the editor is the first person to tackle it. (Copyright © 1996 by Michael Chaskes) +RZORQJGRHVLWQRUPDOO\WDNHKLPWRFXWDILOP" 6L[PRQWKV. Although editing is considered part of 3RVW3URGXFWLRQ, the film editor traditionally begins work at the beginning of the 3URGXFWLRQ phase. Footage shot on Monday, will be developed and printed that night, and delivered to the editor on Tuesday. A rough cut of that sequence may be available for the director's screening on Wednesday. Usually the URXJKFXW of the entire film will be available six weeks after principle photography wraps. Typically it takes two to three weeks to edit a one hour, action-adventure TV show such as -$*. :K\LVWKHPXVLFFRPSRVHGDIWHUWKHILOPKDVEHHQVKRWDQGHGLWHG" The music is composed to fit the final cut of the film. Often the director and editor will create a WHPSVFRUH with music from various albums, both classical and pop (or rock, or country), and cuts from pre-existing film soundtracks. This score is designed to give a sense of the film's musical possibilities. Most composers ignore this WHPS VFRUH when they begin writing. :KLFKVRXQGWUDFNVDUHUHFRUGHGGXULQJWKHILOPLQJDQGZKLFKDUHFUHDWHG LQSRVWSURGXFWLRQ" The only sound track recorded during the shooting is the GLDORJXH WUDFN. The remainder (music, sound effects, "Foley") are created in post-production. :KDWLVWKH)ROH\WUDFN" The Foley track is the "sound effect" track which contains the sound of foot steps, clinking glasses, pouring drinks, etc. :KDWLV$'5 RUORRSLQJ " ADR stands for "Automatic Dialogue Replacement." It is a technique used to replace the dialogue on the dialogue track without having to re-shoot the scene. :K\LVLWXVHG" Because the dialogue in the scene has been re-written or because the original dialogue track was "garbled." +RZPDQ\SULQWVDUHQRUPDOO\SURGXFHGIRUDPDMRUILOPUHOHDVH" Between 250 and 2500 prints. +RZGRHVWKLVHIIHFWGLVWULEXWLRQ" A film can only play in as many theatres (or screens) as there are prints. An "art films" which has limited distribution has fewer prints. On the other hand Hollywood released 2,500 copies of 7UXH/LHV during the summer of 1994 and over 7,000 prints of Godzilla in 1998. :K\GRVRPHILOPVSOD\WKHODUJHUWRZQVDQGFLWLHVILUVW" Because the larger towns have a larger potential audience and tend to have higher ticket prices; hence a studio can make more money showing a film in New York City, with a $ 10 ticket than they can in Aberdeen with a $ 7.00 ticket. $SSUR[LPDWHO\KRZPXFKRI\RXUWLFNHWSULFHVWD\VLQ$EHUGHHQDQGKRZ PXFKLVIRUZDUGHGWRWKHGLVWULEXWRU" Between 10 and 65 percent of a film's box office gross stays in the local community. The first week a film is in release, the typical theatre's cut is 10%, the second week it's raised to 20%, third week-- 30%, etc. On Broadway, the split between the theatre and the production company is 50% - 50%. +RZORQJLVLWEHIRUHDILOPLVDYDLODEOHRQYLGHRWDSH" About PRQWKV. A summer release is usually available by Christmas. :KHQZLOOLWDSSHDURQSD\FDEOH" About the same time it's released on tape. 2QWKHFRPPHUFLDOQHWZRUNV" Normally a film will not appear on one of the four commercial networks until WR\HDUV after it was shown on the big screen. Theatre Home Page E-mail questions and comments to Larry Wild at [email protected]. Last updated: February 25, 2004 Copyright © 1995-2004 by Larry Wild, Northern State University 5DGLR +LVWRU\DQG3URGXFWLRQ 5HVRXUFHV 2XWVLGHUHDGLQJ Erik Barnouw. $+LVWRU\RI%URDGFDVWLQJLQWKH8QLWHG6WDWHV. New York: Oxford University Press. 3 volumes. 1966-1970. Frank Buxton. 7KH%LJ%URDGFDVW . New York: Viking Press. 1972 John Dunning. 7XQHLQ ,QWHUQHW... Radio Program Archive of the University of Memphis Original Old Time Radio WWW Pages Building the Broadcast Band The History of Broadcasting, 1920-1960 Jeff Miller's Broadcast History Pages United States Early Radio History :KRLVFUHGLWHGZLWKGHYHORSLQJWKHZLUHOHVVWHOHJUDSK" *XJOLHOPR0DUFRQL (1874-1937) transmitted a wireless signal across his Italian estate in 1896. :KHQGLGKHILUVWWUDQVPLWDPHVVDJHDFURVVWKH$WODQWLF2FHDQ" . Marconi transmitted the letter "S" ( "dit-dit-dit" in Morse code) 2232 miles from Cornwell in England to St. Johns, Newfoundland on the east coast of Canada. In 1909 he received the Nobel Prize for Physics for his work in wireless communication. :KRZHUHWKHILUVWSHRSOHWRH[SORLWZLUHOHVVFRPPXQLFDWLRQ" The QDY\DQGPHUFKDQWPDULQHV. In 1900 the Marconi Wireless Corporation installed its first marine wireless station on the 66 .DLVHU:LOKHOPGHU*URVVH. By 1910, Marconi had established a network of shore based stations and 781 ships, both naval and merchant marine, carried wireless equipment. Inefficent spark gap transmitters broadcast with 1.5 or 5 kilowatts of power on 300 (1000 KHz) or 600 (500 Khz) meters. The daylight coverage ranged from 70 to 300 nautical miles. At night the range of the more powerfull stations was close to 2000 miles. Many ships had only one operator, and he often signed off between 10pm and 6am. It was not until the sinking of the 7LWDQLF on the night of April 14-15, 1912, that the ship board operators were required to monitor the air waves 24 hours a day. :KHQZDVUHFRUGHGPXVLFILUVWEURDGFDVWRYHUWKHDLU" . On Christmas Eve, 1906, an Candian inventor, Dr. Reginald A. Fessenden (1866-1932) broadcast a religious program which included readings from the %LEOH(the Christmas story from Luke), a live violin solo, and a recording of Handel's /DUJR from from the 420' antenna tower of his experimental wireless station in Brant Rock (near Boston), Mass. This broadcast was heard by ship board wireless operators as for away as the West Indies. :KDWZDVWKHILUVWFRPPHUFLDO$PHULFDQUDGLRVWDWLRQ" .'.$. A station's call letters are not initials, they have no meaning. The letters are assigned by a government agency (the FCC). With a few exceptions (for example: KDKA in Pittsburgh and WNAX in Yankton, SD), stations east of the Mississippi begin with "W," and stations west of the river begin with "K." :KHUHZDVLWORFDWHG" East Pittsburgh, PA. :KHQGLGLWJRRQWKHDLU" 1RYHPEHU . The first broadcast was the returns for the Warren G. Harding / James M. Cox Presidential election. Approximately 1000 listeners heard Harding declaired winner with 60.4% of the popular vote from this tiny 100 watt station. :KRRZQHGWKHVWDWLRQ" Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Company. :K\GLGWKH\SXWLWRQWKHDLU" Westinghouse was planning to market, for $ 25, a primitive radio kit: The $HULROD-U . They knew the public would not buy their sets if there were no programs broadcast to which they could listen. In 1916, David Sarnoff (1891-1971) a New York based Marconi wireless operator wrote the following letter to his station manager... I have in mind a plan of development which would make radio a household utility. The idea is to bring music into the home by wireless. The receiver can be designed in the form of a simple radio music box and arranged for several different wavelengths, which could be changeable with the throwing of a single switch or the pressing of a single button. Baseball scores can be transmitted in the air. This proposition would be especially interesting to IDUPHUV and others living in outlying areas. In 1921 Sarnoff was named General Manager of RCA. He was instrumental in the creation of the first radio network (NBC) and NBCs move into television. :K\ZHUHWKHFRPPHUFLDOUDGLRQHWZRUNVHVWDEOLVKHG" It soon became obvious to the broadcasters that every station could not create its own, locally produced, high quality programs. By joining several stations together, the stations in the largest markets (New York, Chicago, Los Angeles) could develop programs which they could distribute over land lines to the smaller markets (Omaha, Denver, Kansas City, etc.). The Red network of the National Broadcasting Company, 1%&5HG, began operation in December of 1926 with a hook-up of 20 stations. The following month, January 1927, 1%&%OXH (the cultural network) was organized with only 5 outlets. The Columbia Broadcasting System, &%6, came on line with 16 stations in September of 1927. In December 1928, NBC-Red had completed a coast-to-coast hook-up. By 1930, the three major radio networks had been established. In October 1943, NBC-Blue was sold to the American Broadcasting System and became the American Broadcasting Company, $%&. :KHQGLGGUDPDEHFRPHDPDLQVWD\RIQHWZRUNUDGLRSURJUDPPLQJ" In the ODWHVRUHDUO\ V. The first dramatic radio series, an anthology program, was introduced on WGY, a General Electric station in up-state New York in 1922. :KDWZDVUDGLRGUDPD VILUVWKLWVKRZ" $PRV Q $QG\. In 1925 two white actors, Freeman Gosden (1899- 1982) and Charles Correll (1890-1972) presented 6DP Q +HQU\, a "black" sitcom, on Chicago's WGN. Two years later they left WGN for WMAQ, also in Chicago, and the program's title was changed to $PRV Q $QG\. In 1929 they joined the NBC network and became radio's first major hit. In 1930, RKO introduced Gosden and Correll as Amos Jones and Andrew Halt Brown in &KHFNDQG'RXEOH&KHFN. $PRV Q $QG\, with an all black cast, staring Spenser Williams Jr. (Amos) and Alvin Childress (Andy), moved to CBS television in 1950. Growing anger over black stereotyping drove the show off the air in the summer of 1953. CBS pulled the TV series from world wide syndication in 1966 . Perhaps the finest tribute to the show came from English playwright George Benard Shaw. "There are three things I'll never forget about America:" he said, "The Rocky Mountains, Niagara Falls, and $PRV Q $QG\. For more information link to 7KH2ULJLQDO $PRV Q $QG\:HE3DJH. :KDWW\SHRISURJUDPZDVLW" The program began in the VHULDOIRUPDW. 4,090 fifteen minute episodes were broadcast (5 days a week, 52 weeks a year) between 1928 and 1943 when $PRV Q $QG\ became a weekly half-hour situation comedy. In 1954, the year before the last broadcast of the weekly sit-com, CBS created a new show: 7KH$PRV Q $QG\0XVLF +DOO with the two title characters becoming glorified disc jockeys. They left the air in the fall of 1960. When the cancellation was announced, Charles Correll told a reporter "The DJs and the newscasters have taken over -- and there's no room for us anymore." )URPZKDWFLW\GLGLWRULJLQDWH" Chicago. :KDWLVWKHGLIIHUHQFHEHWZHHQDGUDPDWLFVHULHVVHULDODQGDQWKRORJ\ SURJUDP" x A VHULHV has a continuing set of characters and a different plot each week. Most series shows were 30 minute programs which were broadcast once a week. x A VHULDO has a continuing set of characters and a continuing, never ending plot line. Most serials were 15 minute programs which were broadcast five days a week. x An DQWKRORJ\ program has a different plot, and a different set of characters for each show. An anthology show was usually a 30 or 60 minute programs which was broadcast once a week. *LYHDQH[DPSOHRIHDFKIURPWKHFXUUHQWWHOHYLVLRQVHDVRQ x 6HULHV &6,(5 x 6HULDO $VWKH:RUOG7XUQV*XLGLQJ/LJKW*HQHUDO+RVSLWDO. x $QWKRORJ\ 1LJKWDWWKH0RYLHV. :KHUHGLGVRDSRSHUD VJHWWKHLUQDPH" Many early daytime dramas were broadcast from Cincinnati's WLW and were created and produced by the advertising department of Procter and Gamble, the makers of Ivory soap. Between 1934 and 1939, WLW, broadcasting at night with an experimental 500,000 watts (10 times the official legal limit), was the most powerful radio station in the United States. :KDWDUHWKHIRXUEDVLFHOHPHQWVRIUDGLRGUDPD" x Narration, x Music, x Dialogue, and x Sound effects. :KLFKHOHPHQWLVXVHGWRHVWDEOLVKWKHHQYLURQPHQW" Sound effects :KDWDUHWKHWKUHHEDVLFIXQFWLRQVRIPXVLFLQUDGLRGUDPD" x To identify the program, x To create a bridge (connection) between dramatic scenes, and x To underscore dialogue creating a "dramatic" mood. :KDWLVWKHLPSRUWDQFHRIWKH0HUFXU\7KHDWUHRQWKH$LU VSURGXFWLRQRI :DURIWKH:RUOGV" :DURIWKH:RUOGV is undoubtly the most famous radio broadcast of all time. It proved to management that the listening audience would accept a radio drama as real; that they would believe what they heard. :KRZDVWKHGLUHFWRU"7KHVWDU" 2UVRQ:HOOHV (1915-1985) was both the director and the star. :KHQZDVLWSURGXFHG" Sunday, October 30, 1938. It was, according to Welles, the "0HUFXU\ 7KHDWUH's own radio version of dressing up in a sheet and jumping out of a bush and saying boo." +RZGLGLWDIIHFWWKHDXGLHQFH" Many listeners panicked believing the United States was being invaded by Martians. Men staggered into bars, babbling about the end of the world. Students at a college campus in North Carolina fought over the few available telephones. More than twenty people were treated for shock by a Newark (NJ) hospital. It was rumored that millions had been killed in New York when the city was devistated by a "planetoid." Families gathered on roof tops in Boston to watch the red glow in the southern sky as New York burned. :KRZDVLQWKHRSLQLRQRIDQXPEHURIZULWHUVWKHSHUIHFWUDGLRKHUR" 7KH6KDGRZ. Radio's man of mystery was originally performed by a 22 year old (in 1937) Orson Welles. The show remained on the air, with new scripts, to the end of 1954. :K\" The Shadow was only a voice. He was never seen, only heard. As the announcer told the listening audience at the opening of each show, "Several years ago in the Orient, Lamont Cranston, wealthy young man-about-town, learned a strange and mysterious secret...the hypnotic power to cloud men's minds..." :KHQGLGUDGLREHJLQWRORVHLWVSULPHWLPHDXGLHQFH" Radio began to lose it's evening audience in 1948 when 7KH7H[DFR 6WDU7KHDWUH, starring Milton Berle, became a national phenomenon. In 1951 ,/RYH/XF\ became the talk of the town. By 1954 radio drama had become a memory. CBS did continue to carry a few selected programs on Sunday afternoons until the early 1960's. Radio's last great dramatic series was *XQVPRNH (1952-1961) starring William Conrad as U. S. Marshall Matt Dillon. During it's nine years on radio, CBS presented 480 performances of 413 (46 per season) scripts. Many of these episodes were adapted to television. Link to *XQVPRNH 5DGLR V/DVW*UHDW'UDPDWLF6HULHV to see a publicity photo of the radio cast and a transcript of the show's opening sequence. In 1974, CBS briefly revived serious radio drama with the &%6 5DGLR0\VWHU\7KHDWUH (1974-1982), a nightly, one hour anthology program hosted by E. G. Marshall. Today only a few commercial radio stations broadcast dramatic programs. :K\" Because people began watching TV instead of listening to the radio. :KDWLVFXUUHQWO\UDGLR VSULPHWLPH" 'ULYHWLPH: From 7 to 9am, and 4 to 6pm. Today program content is typically either all music (country, rock, pop) or all talk (news, interview, sports). Theatre Home Page E-mail questions and comments to Larry Wild at [email protected]. Last updated: February 25, 2004 Copyrighted © 1995 - 2004 by Larry Wild, Northern State University, Aberdeen, SD 7HOHYLVLRQ +LVWRU\DQG3URGXFWLRQ 5HVRXUFHV 2XWVLGHUHDGLQJ Erik Barnouw.7XEHRI3OHQW\. New York: Oxford University Press. 1990 Tim Brooks and Earle Marsh. 7KH&RPSOHWH'LUHFWRU\WR3ULPH7LPH1HWZRUN79 6KRZV 3UHVHQW New York: Ballantine Books. 1992. Richard Lindheim and Richard Blum. ,QVLGH7HOHYLVLRQ3URGXFLQJ. Boston: Focal Press. 1991. Vince Waldron. &ODVVLF6LWFRPV $&HOHEUDWLRQRIWKH%HVWRI3ULPH7LPH &RPHG\. New York: Macmillan. 1987. ,QWHUQHW ABC | CBS | NBC | FOX | UPN | WB | PBS | SD-PBS Tim's TV Showcase A U. S. Television Chronology, 1875-1970 :KHQGLGFRPPHUFLDOWHOHYLVLRQEURDGFDVWLQJEHJLQ" President Franklin Roosevelt's opening of the New York World's Fair is broadcast live from NBC's experimental station -- W2XBS -- in New York City. In July, both NBC (WNBT) and CBS (WCBW) come on the air with a commercial station, again in New York City. Development is halted by World War II. The war is over, and both networks begin to expand. Four television networks, (NBC, CBS, ABC, and DuMont), begin a full prime-time schedule (8 to 11pm, Eastern Time), seven days a week. ,QZKDWFLW\" New York City :KDWZDVWKHUHODWLRQVKLSEHWZHHQUDGLRGUDPDDQGHDUO\WHOHYLVLRQ SURJUDPPLQJ" Most early (1948 to 1960) television shows, both dramatic and non- dramatic, originated on radio. For many programs -- 7KH$GYHQWXUHV RI2]]LHDQG+DUULHW (1944-1954), )DWKHU.QRZV%HVW (1949-1954), 'UDJQHW (1949-1956) -- the transition was easy: the cast performed in a television or film studio instead of a radio station. For the actor, a TV production required a longer time committment. A radio show was normally produced in one day -- a read through in the morning, a "dress" rehearsal in the afternoon, and the performance that evening. A half hour television show required the actor to be in front of the camera for three or four, 10 to 12 hour days. For other productions, the switch was much more difficult. William Conrad (1920-1994) created the role of U.S. Marshall Matt Dillon in the radio version of *XQVPRNH (1952-1961). When CBS decided to bring *XQVPRNH to television in 1955, the network executivies decided that although Conrad sounded like a US Marshall, he didn't look like one. At 5' 9" and 270 pounds, the portly, balding, mustached Conrad looked more like a villain than a :LOOLDP&RQUDG western hero. At the suggestion of John Wayne, CBS cast James Arness (1923- ), a 6' 7" actor who's major acting credit at the time was the title role in 7KH 7KLQJIURP$QRWKHU:RUOG (1951). Arness would be Matt Dillon for the next 40 years. First on the television series (1955-1975), then in five made-for-TV *XQVPRNH movies. -DPHV$UQHVV William Conrad, who was one of radio's most prolific actors, would become a television producer and director. His first major on camera television role was Frank Cannon in &DQQRQ (1971-1976). This was followed by 1HUR:ROI (1981) and J.L. McCabe, the Fatman, in -DNH DQGWKH)DWPDQ (1987-1992). William Conrad died of a massive heart attack in February 1994 and was inducted into the 5DGLR+DOO RI)DPH in 1997. Link to *XQVPRNH 5DGLR V/DVW*UHDW'UDPDWLF 6HULHV for more information, including photographs, on the cast, characters and setting of *XQVPRNH. :KRZDVWHOHYLVLRQ VILUVWVXSHUVWDU" Milton Berle (1908-2002) :KDWZDVWKHSURJUDP" 7KH7H[DFR6WDU7KHDWUH (1948-1956) was an old-fashioned vaudeville variety hour with a half dozen guests each week. Berle, both host and star, worked his way into many of the acts. In 1950, the first year of the Nielson ratings, the "Milton Berle Show" was watched by 62% of those owning TV sets. It has been said that Berle was television's first great "salesman." During his tenure the number of TV homes went from a little under 191,000 to over 21,000,000, an increase of approximately 10,994%. )URPZKHUHZDVLWEURDGFDVW" Live from 1HZ :KHQZDVWKH*ROGHQ$JHRI7HOHYLVLRQ" WR . Although the 12 year period between 1948 and 1960 is remembered for the variety show (7H[DFR6WDU7KHDWUH), the sitcom (,/RYH/XF\) and the western (*XQVPRNH), when we talk about the *ROGHQ$JHRI7HOHYLVLRQ we are generally refering to the GUDPDWLF DQWKRORJ\SURJUDPV, such as 7KH866WHHO+RXU (1953-1963), $OFRD+RXU (1955-1957), .UDIW7HOHYLVLRQ7KHDWUH (1947-1958), and 3OD\KRXVH (1956-1961) which were broadcast live from New York City. Begining in 1957, many of these programs were taped before broadcast. 1DPHRQHPDMRUZULWHUZKRJRWKLVVWDUWGXULQJWKLVSHULRG William Gibson (1914- ), Ira Levin (1929- ), Rod Serling (1924- 1975), Gore Vidal (1925- ) *LYHWKHWLWOHRIRQHPDMRUZRUN ILOPRUSOD\ ZKLFKEHJDQDVDJROGHQDJH WHOHYLVLRQVFULSW" 7KH0LUDFOH:RUNHU (William Gibson), 7KH'D\VRI:LQHDQG5RVHV (J. P. Miller, 1919- ), $QJU\0HQ (Reginald Rose), 5HTXLPIRUD +HDY\ZHLJKW (Rod Serling), 1R7LPHIRU6HUJHDQWV (Ira Levin). Links are to the film adaption in the Internet Movie DataBase. :KHQGLGWHOHYLVLRQSURGXFWLRQPRYHIURPOLYHIURP1HZ 1951. :KDWQHWZRUNVKRZLVFUHGLWHGZLWKVWDUWLQJWKHVKLIWWRWKHZHVWFRDVW" ,/RYH/XF\ (1951-1958). CBS wanted to broadcast live from New York. Lucy and Desi didn't want to leave their home in Los Angles. They filmed the show with three cameras (which the film studios said couldn't be done) before a live audience. Because the show was filmed, both coasts got a high quality picture. Link to the ,/RYH/XF\ web page at 7LP V796KRZFDVH. :KDWLVWKHSURFHVVXVHGLQGHYHORSLQJDWHOHYLVLRQVHULHVDQGVHOOLQJLWWRD QHWZRUN" There are only six major broadcast clients: ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, UPN, and WB. Five of these clients are owned by production houses. All network prime time series are produced by the major film studios (Warner Brothers, 20th Century Fox, Universal, Paramount, Disney) or the six TV networks because they have "deep pockets." Ideas come from both the networks and the studios. The concept, the story, the script, and the cast must be approved by both the studio and the network, as well as the show's the production company. After a concept is given the "green light", a SLORW episode will be shot. The pilot is often a two hour made for TV movie. Sometimes the characters and concept will be introduced on an episode of an existing series. For example, CBS's -DNHDQGWKH)DWPDQ (1987- 1992) was introduced in a two hour episode-- 7KH'RQ (1986) -- of NBC's 0DWORFN (1986-1995). Normally between 15 and 20 pilots are produced each season by the major television networks. If the pilot is accepted, the network will order between four and six episodes. If the series is a succeess, additional episodes will be ordered. There are 22 episodes in a full season. :KDWLVWKHGLIIHUHQFHEHWZHHQDVLQJOHFDPHUDDQGDPXOWLFDPHUDVKRRW" A VLQJOHFDPHUD shoot is the same technique used by the movie industry.. The PXOWLFDPHUD shoot, which is much closer to live theatre, is the technique developed by the television industry during's it's "Golden Age." :KLFKWHFKQLTXHLVXVHGIRUDQKRXUORQJDFWLRQDGYHQWXUHVHULHV" Single camera $KDOIKRXUVLWFRP" Muli-camera $VRDSRSHUD" Multi-camera +RZPDQ\FDPHUDVDUHXVHGLQDPXOWLFDPHUDSURGXFWLRQ" 7KUHH The center camera is used for the "Master Shot," the left and right camera cover the closeups and over-the-shoulder shots. Most local news programs, which are mult-camera productions, use only two cameras. +RZPDQ\GD\VLVDKDOIKRXUVLWFRPLQUHKHDUVDOSURGXFWLRQ" )LYH days. The director spends the first three days with the actors. Day four the camera crews are brought in, and the camera's location for each scene is determined. Day five is the final dress rehearsal, and the taping of the show. Normally both the final dress rehearsal and the performance are taped. :KDWDUHWKHWKUHHSURJUDPVRXUFHVDYDLODEOHWRDORFDOVWDWLRQ VSURJUDP GLUHFWRU" 1. Network 2. Locally produced 3. Syndicated. :KDWLVWKHPDMRUIRUPRIRULJLQDOSURJUDPPLQJSURGXFHGE\DORFDO VWDWLRQ" 1HZV and information, including local high school and college sports coverage. :KDWW\SHVRISURJUDPVQRUPDOO\DSSHDULQV\QGLFDWLRQ" 7DONVKRZV (2SUDK:LQIUH\), JDPHVKRZV (:KHHORI)RUWXQH) and UHUXQV of old network sitcoms (&KHHUV0 $ 6 +0DUULHGZLWK &KLOGUHQ). The top rated (Rating: 9.5) syndicated television program is :KHHORI)RUWXQH. :KLFKVKRZVDUHXVXDOO\SLFNHGXSIURPWKHQHWZRUNIHHG" The PRUQLQJQHZV shows (*RRG0RUQLQJ$PHULFD), the QDWLRQDOQHZV (7KH&%6(YHQLQJ1HZVZLWK'DQ5DWKHU) and the SULPHWLPH programs (7 to 10pm, Central time). +RZDUHUDGLRDQGWHOHYLVLRQVKRZVILQDQFHG" By commercials. :KDWLVWKHEDVLFIXQFWLRQRIWKHSURJUDP" To attract an audience to watch or listen to the commercials. +RZPDQ\PLQXWHVRIFRPPHUFLDOVVXSSRUWDKDOIKRXUSULPHWLPHVKRZ" (LJKWPLQXWHV. Six minutes are sold by the network, and two minutes are available for sale by the local station. :KDWLVWKHVWDQGDUGOHQJWKRIDWHOHYLVLRQFRPPHUFLDO" Thirty seconds. +RZPXFKZRXOGDSULPHWLPHVSRWFRVWRQ$EHUGHHQ V.$%< &KDQQHO " In the spring of 2000, a prime time 30 second spot on the Aberdeen ABC station, KABY, costs between $ 150 and $ 250. KABY broadcasts to 80,000 TV households in a 16 county area. :KDWLVWKHGLIIHUHQFHEHWZHHQUDWLQJSRLQWVKDUHDQGUDQNLQJ" 5DWLQJSRLQW The percentage of TV homes watching a program. A rating of 20 points means that 20% of America's TV homes (or 20.4 million homes) are watching the program. Each TV home has approximately 1.41 viewers. 6KDUH The percentage of TV homes, whose sets are on, watching a program. A 30 share means that 30% of those people who are watching TV at that moment, are watching the program. 5DQNLQJ The position (or place) the show holds in that weeks list. :KLFKUDWLQJDUHVKDUHZLOODOZD\VEHKLJKHU" The share. :KDWUHDGLO\DYDLODEOHVRXUFHFDQEHXVHGWRGHWHUPLQHDSURJUDP V UDWLQJ" The Nielsen Ratings (provided by Nielsen Media Research) of television's prime time schedule are published in the /LIH (or purple) section of the Wednesday (or maybe Thursday) issue of 86$7RGD\. TV rating are also published on the Web at TV.Zap2It.com. +RZPDQ\WHOHYLVLRQKRPHVGRHVHDFKUDWLQJSRLQWUHSUHVHQW" According to 86$7RGD\ each rating point is equal to 1,055,000 TV homes. :K\FDQDVKRZZLWKDORZUDWLQJVWLOODWWUDFWDGYHUWLVHUV" Because that program attracts the kind of audience (meaning: The kind of people who will buy their product) the advertiser wants. :KDWHOHPHQWVRWKHUWKDQWKHTXDOLW\RISURGXFWLRQFDQHIIHFWDSURJUDP V UDWLQJ" The two major element are (1) a shows FRPSHWLWLRQ (You don't want to be scheduled opposite the number one show) and (2) what programs OHDG and follow your show (You want to be sandwiched between two hit shows). :KDWLVFXUUHQWO\WHOHYLVLRQ VQXPEHURQHVKRZ":KDWLVLWVUDWLQJ",WV VKDUH" As of February 22nd, television's number one show is CBS's &6, with a rating of 16.4 and a 25 share. NBC's top rated program is )ULHQGV with a rating of 13.5 and a 21 share, Fox's number one show is $PHULFDQ,GRO 7XHVGD\ with a rating of 15.8 and a 24 share and ABC's top program is 0RQGD\1LJKW)RRWEDOO, with a rating of 11.5 and a 19 share. As of February 22nd, the average Neilsen rating for the six commercial networks for the current season () are... 1. &%6: 8.8 with a 14 share 2. 1%&: 7.2 with a 12 share 3. )R[: 6.2 with a 10 share 4. $%&: 6.1 with a 10 share 5. :%: 2.5 with a 4 share 6. 831: 2.4 with a 4 share So far this season, four of television's top ten shows are carried by &%6, three are on 1%&, two on )R[ and only one on $%&. :KDWLVWHOHYLVLRQ VORQJHVWUXQQLQJSULPHWLPHGUDPDWLFVHULHV" *XQVPRNH. 20 years, 1955 to 1975. Link to the *XQVPRNH web page on 7LP V796KRZFDVH :KDWLVEURDGFDVWLQJ V UDGLRDQGWHOHYLVLRQ ORQJHVWUXQQLQJSURJUDP" *XLGLQJ/LJKW. 67 years, and still running. It started in Chicago on January 25, 1937 as a 15 minute, 5 days a week, soap. The show was originally about the Reverend Doctor John Rutledge (played by Arthur Peterson) and his /LWWOH&KXUFKRI)LYH3RLQWV in Five Points, a Chicago suburb. The Rev. Rutledge left a lamp, the original "guiding light," burning in his study as a beacon for those who needed help. In 1948 the focus of the show shifted to the Frederick (Papa) Bauer family of Springfield. During the Christmas Episode in December of 2000, Meta Bauer, the daughter of Mama and Papa Bauer remembers... When I was a girl we used to listen to Reverend Ruthledge at the Church in Five Points. He was the best man I've ever known at finding hope for people in trouble, and I guess that's just about everybody at one time or another. He used to say something I'll never forget. "There is a destiny that makes us brothers. No one goes that way alone. All that we bring into the lives of others, comes back into our own." The character of the Rev. Ruthledge was inspired by the preaching and guidence of the Reverend Dr. Preston Bradley of the People's Church of Chicago. Link to the GL web pages on soap-new.com. :KLFKUHJXODUO\VFKHGXOHGWHOHYLVLRQVHULHVKDVWKHGLVWLQFWLRQRIGUDZLQJ WKHODUJHVWDXGLHQFHIRUDVLQJOHHSLVRGH" 0 $ 6 + (1972-1983). The 2 hour series finale broadcast in February 1983. It earned a 60.2 rating with a 77 share. Link to the 0 $ 6 + web page at 7LP V796KRZFDVH. :KDWDUHWKHVZHHSV" The "Sweeps" are the television rating surveys which "sweep" North America, all 210 television markets, four times a year -- November, February, May and August. Because they use a larger, and more complete sample than the Neilsen index, they give a more accurate idea of what the "local" audience is watching in the smaller markets. It is during "Sweeps" that the networks broadcast... x all QHZHSLVRGHV of regularly scheduled shows; many featuring special guest stars, x PDGHIRU79PRYLHV with sensational themes and major film and TV stars, x the PLQLVHULHV-- a multi-part, four to twelve hour, made-for- TV movie, x DZDUGVKRZV, x the premiere of a summer ERFNEXVWHUPRYLH, and x PXOWLSDUWGRFXPHQWDULHV on local and national newscasts. :K\DUHWKH\LPSRUWDQW" Ratings developed during the "Sweeps" are used by the local station and network to establish their quarterly rate card. The higher the rating, the larger the audience, the more they can charge for a thirty second spot. :KDWHIIHFWKDVFDEOHDQGKRPH9&5VKDGRQWKHVL]HRIWKHQHWZRUN V SULPHWLPHDXGLHQFH" The commercial network's prime time audience has dropped from a 90 share in the mid 70's, to a 54 share in 2004. Today, only a little over one third (36%) of the prime time audience is watching the big three networks -- $%&&%6 and 1%&. When the networks lose audience, they also lose ad revenue, and their profits drop. Theatre Home Page E-mail questions and comments to Larry Wild at [email protected]. Last updated: March 1, 2004 Copyright © 1995-2004 by Larry Wild, Northern State University *UHHNDQG5RPDQ7KHDWUH 5HVRXUFHV 7H[W Wilson and Goldfarb. 7KHDWHU 7KH/LYHO\$UW, 4th edition: Chapter 10, pages 209 - 231 3OD\V *UHHN Aeschylus. 3URPHWKHXV%RXQG Sophocles. 2HGLSXV Euripides. 7URMDQ:RPHQ Aristophanes. /\VLVWUDWD 3OD\V 5RPDQ Plautus. 7KH0HQDHFKPL Seneca. 2HGLSXV Greek Theatre | Roman Theatre *UHHN7KHDWUH +RZGLGUHOLJLRXVULWXDOHYROYHLQWR*UHHNWKHDWUH" There were four major celebrations, in honor of the Greek god Dionysus. Three of these celebrations-- the &LW\'LRQV\LD in the spring and the /HQDLD and 5XUDO'LRQ\VLD in the winter --would involve drama. One of the elements of these celebrations was the dithyramb, a choral ode song to the gods. Aristotle tell us that Greek tragedy grew out of the dithyramb. :KDWZDVWKHUHODWLRQVKLSEHWZHHQ*UHHNP\WKRORJ\DQGHDUO\*UHHN GUDPD" Greek mythology is the legends and stories behind the Greek gods. The earliest Greek dramas, especially those by Aeschylus (525-456 BC), drew their plots and characters from these myths. 7KHILUVWWUDJLFGUDPDVZHUHSHUIRUPHGLQKRQRURIZKLFK*UHHNJRG" Dionysus, the Greek god of wine, fertility and revelry. $WZKLFKGUDPDWLFIHVWLYDOZHUHWKHVHGUDPDVILUVWSHUIRUPHG" The City Dionysia. :KHUHZDVWKLVIHVWLYDOKHOG":KHQ" Athens, in the early spring (March). :KDWZDVDGLWK\UDPE" The dithyramb was a lengthy "hymn" or choral ode in honor of Dionysus which was sung by a chorus of fifty men. +RZGLGLWHYROYHLQWRGUDPD" Aristotle, in the 3RHWLFV, tells us that one of the choral leaders, Thespis, left the chorus, jumped on to the alter, and assumed the role of "the god". :KRZDVWKHILUVWDFWRU" Thespis. 7KHILUVWSOD\ZULJKW" Also, Thespis. He won the first Greek tragedy contest in 534 BC. :KDWW\SHRIGUDPDVGLG$HVFK\OXV6RSKRFOHVDQG(XULSLGHVZULWH" Tragedies. :KLFKRIWKHVHWKUHHZDVWKHILUVWSOD\ZULJKWZKRVHZRUNKDVVXUYLYHG" $HVFK\OXV (525-456 BC). He won thirteen Tragic Contests. We have seven of the approximately 80 plays he wrote, including the only complete trilogy: 2UHVWHLD (458 BC). :KDWZDV$HVFK\OXV PDMRUFRQWULEXWLRQWRWKHDUWRISOD\ZULJKWLQJ" He DGGHGWKHVHFRQGDFWRU, creating the possibility of dramatic dialogue. Thespis' tragedies utilized only one actor and the chorus. :KDWLV6RSKRFOHV %& PRVWLPSRUWDQWGUDPD" 2HGLSXV7\UDQQRV (430-425? BC), also known as 2HGLSXV5H[ or 2HGLSXVWKH.LQJ. Sophocles won eighteen Tragic Contests. Like Aeschylus, only seven of the more than 120 plays he wrote have survived. See the Play Synopsis on page 217. +RZGRHVLWUDQNDPRQJZRUOGGUDPDWLFOLWHUDWXUH" 2HGLSXV is considered one of the great tragedies. It is ranked with Shakespeare's +DPOHW and .LQJ/HDU. $FFRUGLQJWR6RSKRFOHVZKRZDVWKH*UHHNNLQJZKRPXUGHUHGKLVIDWKHU DQGPDUULHGKLVPRWKHU" Oedipus. :KDWZDV6RSKRFOHV FRQWULEXWLRQWRWKHDUWRISOD\ZULJKWLQJ" He added the third actor. :K\GRZHKDYHPRUHSOD\VE\(XULSLGHVWKDQZHGRRIERWK6RSKRFOHVDQG $HVFK\OXVFRPELQHG" Because the Romans, who eventually over throw Greece's Macedonian rulers (168 BC), considered Euripides (ca. 480-407 BC) a greater playwright, hence taking better care of his manuscripts. He won only five Contests, but we have seventeen of his approximately 90 tragedies. About 3.5% of the tragedies written during Greece's Golden Age (from 534 to 400 BC) have survived. All were written by these three playwrights. :KDWLVGHXVH[PDFKLQD" It is a Latin expression which literally means: *RGRXWRIWKH PDFKLQH. It is a playwriting term used to describe a contrived ending. It means that the dramatic problem is not solved by playwright's characters, that a solution is forced upon them by the playwright. :LWKZKLFKSOD\ZULJKWLVWKLVWHUPDVVRFLDWHG" Euripides. Contrived endings have been used by other playwrights-- see, for example, Moliere' s solution to Orgon's dilema in the last act of 7DUWXIIH. :KDWLVDWULORJ\" A WULORJ\ is a set of three short plays tied together by a common plot line, character, or idea. Each tragic playwright, when he entered the competition for performance at the &LW\'LRQ\VLD, would submit four plays, a trilogy (3 tragedies) and a satyr play. Aeschylus, the earliest of the three tragic playwrights, built his trilogies around a common plot line. Euripides, the last of the three, usually built his three plays around a common idea. Only one complete trilogy has survived: Aeschylus' 2UHVWHLD ("Agamemnon," "Libation Bearers," and "Eumenides") The VDW\U play is generally believed to have been a comic treatment of the serious material covered in the tragedies. Only one satyr play, 7KH&\FORSV by Euripides, has survived. :KLFKVWUXFWXUDOSDWWHUQZDVXVHGE\WKHWKUHH*UHHNWUDJLFSOD\ZULJKWV &OLPDFWLFRU(SLVRGLF" Climactic. :KDWZDVWKHPDMRUGLIIHUHQFHEHWZHHQ2OGDQG1HZ*UHHN&RPHG\" 2OG&RPHG\ was written before 400 BC, 1HZ&RPHG\ was written after 400 BC. 2OG&RPHG\ was mostly political satire. 1HZ&RPHG\ dealt with domestic affairs: Boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy get's girl back again. 1HZ*UHHN&RPHG\ is the beginning of the "SitCom." The reason for the change is that the new political rulers -- the Macedonians who united the independent City States under the leadership of King Philip II (382-336 BC) and his son: Alexander the Great (356-323 BC) -- would no longer accept criticism, hence playwright's stopped writing political satire. :KRLVWKHRQO\2OG*UHHN&RPHG\SOD\ZULJKWZKRVHZRUNKDVVXUYLYHG" Aristophanes (ca. 448 - ca. 380 BC) :KDWW\SHRIFRPHGLHVGLGKHZULWH" Political satire, high comedy :KDWLVWKHWLWOHRIRQHRIKLVPDMRUZRUNV" He is best remembered for the four plays titled after the chorus: the 7KH&ORXGV (423 BC), 7KH:DVSV (422 BC), 7KH%LUGV (414 BC), and 7KH)URJV (405 BC). Probably his most often revived script is /\VLVWUDWD (411 BC), the story of the women of Athens and Sparta who bring an end to the long war between these two city states through a sex strike. +RZPDQ\1HZ*UHHN&RPHG\VFULSWVKDYHVXUYLYHG" One. 7KH*URXFK, also known as 7KH*UXPEOHU (316 BC), found in 1959. In contrast, we have eleven (of the approximately 40) Old Greek Comedies by Aristophanes. :KRZDVLWVDXWKRU" Menander (ca. 342 - 292 BC) :KLFKVWUXFWXUDOSDWWHUQZDVXVHGE\*UHHNFRPLFSOD\ZULJKWV &OLPDFWLF RU(SLVRGLF" Episodic. $WZKLFKGUDPDWLFIHVWLYDOZHUHFRPHGLHVSHUIRUPHG" Although one day of the &LW\'LRQ\VLD was alotted for the performance of five comedies, the Dionysian festival at which comedies were the feature was the /HQDLD. ,QZKLFKFLW\DQGGXULQJZKLFKVHDVRQGLGWKLVIHVWLYDORFFXU" In Athens, during the winter (January). 7KH)LIWK&HQWXU\*UHHN7KHDWUH The theatre of Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides and Aristophanes, was a WHPSRUDU\ZRRGHQVWUXFWXUH built for the festival (the &LW\ 'LRQ\VLD) and dismantled when the celebration was concluded. The audience probably sat on wooden benches (WKHDWURQ) and the actors and chorus performed on a flat, roughly circular (85' diameter) dirt floored acting area (RUFKHVWUD). The VNHQH, a tent or small wooden hut was probably added in the middle of the fifth century. The first permanent theatre was built under Macedonian rule in the middle of the fourth century BC. *URXQG3ODQRID*UHHN7KHDWUH To the left is the ground plan of a typical Greek Theatre as published by William Smith in $'LFWLRQDU\RI *UHHNDQG5RPDQ$QWLTXLWLHV (1875). The drawing reflects a 19th century understanding based on an examination of the ruins of a fourth century BC theatre as remodeled by the Romans during the first century BC.. Note the circular RUFKHVWUD with its DOWHU (WK\PHOH), the WKHDWURQ which enfolds approximately 60% of the central playing area, and the VNHQH -- with its three "doors" -- which just touches the edge of the RUFKHVWUD. Note the differences between this plan and the drawing on page 219. 7KHDWUHRI'LRQ\VXV, Athens To the left is a view of the ruins of the 7KHDWUHRI'LRQ\VXV, the fifth century home of the tragedies of Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides and the comedies of Aristophanes. This permanent Greek theatre was built between 342 and 326 BC (approximately 100 years after 2HGLSXV was first performed); remodeled to fit the Roman ideal during the reign of Nero (61 BC), and last used for a theatrical performance during the 4th century AD. This historical site was discovered during the 18th century and excavated during the 19th. Note the RUFKHVWUD (as altered by Romans), the remains of the WKHDWURQ and the footings of the VNHQH. ,QWKHFODVVLFDO*UHHNWKHDWUHZKDWZDVWKHWKHDWURQ" The WKHDWURQ was the semi-circular seating area in the classical Greek theatre. It was generally (but not always) carved out of the side of a hill. It is the source of our word: theatre. Rough English translation: Seeing place. 7KHRUFKHVWUD" Was the circular acting area at the foot of the hill, where the chorus (and actors) performed. It was located between the WKHDWURQ and the VNHQH. In the center of the orchestra was an alter (or WK\PHOH). Rough English translation: Dancing place. 7KHVNHQH" The VNHQH, the source of our word: VFHQH, was the SDODFH (or VFHQH KRXVH) at the rear of the acting space. It was introduced in the middle of the fifth century BC and probably did not exist for Aeschylus' early tragedies. It had at least one, and perhaps as many as three openings (doors?) which could be used as entrances. Rough English translation: Tent or booth. See the diagram on page 219 and the photographs on pages 76 and 83. :KDWZDVWKHVHDWLQJFDSDFLW\RIDW\SLFDO*UHHNWKHDWUH" During the 4th century BC, when the temporary wooden benches were replaced with stone slabs, the 78 rows of the 7KHDWUHRI 'LRQ\VXV would seat between 15,000 and 16,000 people -- approximately one third the population of Athens. In contrast, a large Broadway theatre, designed primarily for musicals, seats about 1,200. :KDWZDVWKHPHFKDQH PDFKLQD " A crane mounted on the roof of the VNHQH. See the diagram on page 220. +RZZDVLWXVHG" It was used to lower the gods into the action of the play. Hence the term GHXVH[PDFKLQD-- God out of the machine. +RZPDQ\DFWRUVZHUHXVHGLQD*UHHNWUDJHG\" 7ZR in the plays of $HVFK\OXV, WKUHH in the works of both 6RSKRFOHV and (XULSLGHV. ,Q*UHHNFRPHG\" There was no limit. Aristophanes /\VLVWUDWD has a cast of eleven: seven men and four women plus five choruses: Young women, old women, old men, Athenian men and Spartan men. 'LGZRPHQSHUIRUPRQWKH*UHHNVWDJH" No. :KDWZDVWKHVRFLDOUDQNRID*UHHNDFWRU" Acting in the Greek culture was considered an acceptable profession. As we move through theatre history, we will discover the social rank of the performer will vary from accepted to rejected. :KDWZDVWKHIXQFWLRQRIWKHFKRUXVLQD*UHHNGUDPD" 1. They were a character in the play, usually the townspeople. This character was sympathetic to the protagonist. 2. They presented the writer's point of view. 3. They were the ideal spectator, their reaction to a scene would cue the audience on how they should react. 4. They broke the drama into five dramatic scenes, each scene was separated from the next by a choral interlude. The five dramatic scenes will become the five acts of a five act play. :KRZDVWKHPDMRUFULWLFRI*UHHNGUDPD" Aristotle. :KHQGLGKHOLYH" 384 to 322 BC. He wrote about 100 years after Sophocles major tragedies were produced. :KDWLVKLVPRVWVLJQLILFDQWZRUN" 7KH3RHWLFV, the source of the six elements of dramatic structure. 5RPDQ7KHDWUH :KRZHUHWKHWZR5RPDQFRPLFSOD\ZULJKWVZKRVHZRUNVKDYHVXUYLYHG" Although both tragedies and comedies were written during the period of the Republic (500-27 BC), the work of only two comedy playwrights has survived -- Titus 3ODXWXV (254 to 184 BC) and 7HUHQFH (185 to 159 BC). Plautus is remembered for his farcical comedies. We have 21 of the more than 100 plays he may have written. On the other hand, Terence's six plays, because of their simple style and high moral tone, were used as the literary models by the colleges and universities of the Renaissance. :KDWZDVWKHVRXUFHRI3ODXWXV FRPLFSORWVDQGFKDUDFWHUV" Most of his plays were based on New Greek Comedy. :KDWLV3ODXWXV PRVWRIWHQSURGXFHGSOD\" 7KH0HQDHFKPL, also known as the 7ZLQ0HQDHFKPL, or simply 7KH 7ZLQV. It is the story of twin brothers who are separated at birth. One travels with his father to Syracuse, the other with his mother to Epidemus. After his twenty first birthday, the Syracuse boy sets out in search of his long lost brother. They finally meet after two hours of misunderstandings and mistaken identity. +RZGLGKHLQIOXHQFHODWHUFRPHG\ZULWHUVVXFKDV6KDNHVSHDUHDQG 0ROLHUH" Shakespeare and Moliere "borrowed" plots and characters from Plautus' comedies. Shakespeare's 7KH&RPHG\RI(UURUV is based on 7KH0HQDHFKPL and Moliere adapted Plautus' 3RWRI*ROG into 7KH 0LVHU. /LVWVHYHQVWRFNFKDUDFWHUV3ODXWXVXVHGLQKLVFRPHGLHV. 1. An ROGPDQ, probably a miser. 2. A \RXQJPDQ, possibly the miser's son, who rebels against authority. 3. Usually a pair of VODYHV. One smart, the other less smart. The two slaves are the source of most of the humor. 4. The SDUDVLWH. The eternal brother in law, he comes for a visit, and stays forever. 5. The FRXUWHVDQ. The live in maid who knows how to "put out." 6. The VODYHGHDOHU. Often trades in women. Today we would call him a pimp. 7. 0LOHV*ORULRVXV, the EUDJJDUWVROGLHU. He talks a mighty battle, but runs at the first sign of conflict. :KDWLVWKHVHWWLQJRIDW\SLFDO5RPDQFRPHG\" On a street in front of three houses. :KRZDVWKHPDMRUWUDJLFSOD\ZULJKWRIWKH5RPDQWKHDWUH" Lucius Seneca (ca. 5 BC - 65 AD), a tutor and advisor to Nero (fl. 58-64 AD), was the major playwright of the Empire (27 BC - 476 AD). Nine of his tragedies have survived. 2QZKLFK*UHHNDXWKRUZHUHKLVSOD\VEDVHG" Primarily Euripides, but he also "borrowed" from Aeschylus and Sophocles. :HUHKLVSOD\VHYHUSURGXFHG" No. At least we don't think so. His works may have been declaimed, that is-- recited to an audience, but were probably not staged with realistic effects. :K\LVKHLPSRUWDQWWRWKHVWXG\RIGUDPDWLFOLWHUDWXUH" Because playwrights during the Renaissance (1450 to 1700) used his tragedies as their primary model. /LVWVL[PDMRUFKDUDFWHULVWLFVRIKLVGUDPDV 1. He divided his plays into ILYHDFWV with choral interludes. The interludes were not part of the play's action. 2. He used HODERUDWHUKHWRULFDOVSHHFKHV. His characters debated, they didn't converse. 3. He was a PRUDOSKLORVRSKHU. He believed that drama should preach a moral lesson. 4. His tragedies involved much YLROHQWDFWLRQ. They were filled with murder, torture, dismemberment... 5. His tragedies respected the XQLW\RIWLPH (plays action unfolds within 24 hours) and SODFH (the plays actions unfolds at one location). 6. Each of his characters was GRPLQDWHGE\RQHSDVVLRQ (love, revenge, ambition, etc.) which brought about their downfall. :KDWLVWKHGLIIHUHQFHEHWZHHQDVROLORTX\DQGDQDVLGH" In a VROLORTX\, a character, on an empty stage, speaks directly to the audience. In an DVLGH, a character also speaks to the audience, but the other characters on stage, because of the "magic of theatre," do not hear him. Probably the most famous soliloquy from dramatic literature is the "To be or not to be..." speech from Shakespeare's +DPOHW. :KDWLVWKHIXQFWLRQRIWKHFRQILGDQW" To listen to and advise another, usually more important, character. :KRZDVWKH5RPDQ$ULVWRWOH" Horace (65 to 8 BC). In his $UVSRHWLFD 7KH$UWRI3RHWU\ (19 BC) he argued that comedy and tragedy should be distinct forms; that tragedy should draw its characters from the noble class while comedies should deal with the middle class; and that the function of drama was not only to entertain but to teach a moral lesson. These ideas will be incorporated into the 1HR&ODVVLFDO5XOHV during the Renaissance. *URXQG3ODQRID5RPDQ7KHDWUH To the left is the ground plan of a typical Roman Theatre as published by William Smith in $'LFWLRQDU\RI *UHHNDQG5RPDQ$QWLTXLWLHV (1875). Note the semi-circular RUFKHVWUD and FDYHD, the narrow VWDJH (SXOSLWXP), the VFHQDIURQV with 18 columns and five RSHQLQJV, and the DUFDGH which surrounded the FDYHD. Smith suggests that two of the five openings contained SHULDNWRL, the three sided rotating prism that the Greeks may have used to indicate a change in location. Also note that there are no entrances into either the RUFKHVWUD or the FDYHD. Compare this plan with the photograph of 7HDWUR 5RPDQRGL9ROWHUUD below. 7HDWUR5RPDQRGL9ROWHUUD Roman Theatre at Volterra. To the left are the ruins of one of the better preserved Roman theatres. Note the three sections of the semi- circular FDYHD and RUFKHVWUD, the footings for the narrow VWDJH (SXOSLWXP), and the remains (including seven white columns) of the two story VFHQDIURQV. This structure, unlike 7HDWUR0DUFHOOR, was carved out of the very rocky hillside. For obvious safety reasons, only a small portion of this excavation (or VFDYL) is open to the public. +RZGLGWKH5RPDQVFKDQJHWKHEDVLFVWUXFWXUHRIWKH*UHHNWKHDWUH" They cut the orchestra in half, from a circle (in Greek times) to a semi-circle. They also cut the seating down to a semi-circle, and added a narrow stage which was attached to the flat part of the orchestra. See the photograph on page 229 and the diagram on page 230. +RZGLGWKH\XVHWKHRUFKHVWUD" The orchestra was primarily used as a seating area. :DVWKHUHDVWDJHDVZHNQRZLWWRGD\LQWKH5RPDQWKHDWUH" Yes, the stage was probably between 60 and 100 feet long and about 20 feet deep. +RZPDQ\HQWUDQFHVZHUHLQWKH5RPDQVFDHQD" )LYH. There were three entrances along the back (upstage) wall, and one on each side wall. The three rear entrances usually represented three houses, the two side entrances were to different parts of the town. :KDWZDVSODFHGEHKLQGHDFKRIWKHVHHQWUDQFHV" :HGRQ WNQRZ. When Renaissance architect's began to re-create small Roman theatres in the late 1500's, they built perspective vistas of Roman streets behind each of the entrances. The entrances became ornate arches framing the street scenes behind. :KDWZDVWKHVHDWLQJFDSDFLW\RIDQDYHUDJH 5RPDQWKHDWUH" The seating capacity of Rome's 7HDWUR 0DUFHOOR, the largest theatre in the Roman Empire, was approximately . The FDYHD (the semi-circular bank of seats) would hold another 2,000 standees, bringing the total to about 14,000. The theatre was begun in 46 BC under the reign of Julius Caesar and dedicated to Claudius Marcello by Augustus Caesar between 13 and 11 BC. The outside diameter of the FDYHD was about 425 feet. The theatre, which still exists, became a fortress during the middle ages, the 3DOOD]R6DYHOOL [designed by architect Baldassare Peruzzi (1481-1537)] during the Renaissance, and is presently an upscale apartment complex. Obviously the remains of this theatre are not open to the public. :DVWKHWKHDWUHVWUXFWXUHHQFORVHGRUXQLILHG" Enclosed. Although the theatre was an open air structure, it was architectually enclosed or unified. :HUHWKH5RPDQWKHDWUHVFDUYHGRXWRIDKLOOVLGHRUEXLOWRQOHYHOJURXQG" In rugged country Roman architects, like their Greek predecessors, carved their theatres out of the hillside. On flat land the FDYHD was typically supported by two or more tiers of Roman arches. :KDWLVWKHGLIIHUHQFHEHWZHHQD5RPDQWKHDWUHDQGD5RPDQ DPSKLWKHDWUH" A Roman WKHDWUH has a stage (SXOSLWXP) on one side of the RUFKHVWUD and the audience (FDYHD) on the other. An DPSKLWKHDWUH has the audience completely surrounding the "stage space." They were huge arenas used primarily for sporting events -- gladitorial combat, mock sea battles (QDXPDFKLD) and wild animal hunts. The largest (Seating capacity: 87,000 - Outside dimensions: 620' by 513') and most famous amphitheatre in the Empire was Rome's $QILWHDWURGL)ODYLR (80 AD), more commonly known as the $QILWHDWURGL)ODYLR &RORVVHR (Colosseum). :KDWZHUHWKHWKUHHPDMRUIRUFHVZKLFKOHGWRWKHGRZQIDOORIWKH5RPDQ WKHDWUH" 1. The GHFD\RIWKHHPSLUH began when Constantine established two capitals in 330 AD and moved his court from Rome (the western capital) to Constantinople (the eastern capital). Rome (and the Western Empire) fell in 476 when the western emperor was unseated by Odoacer, a Germanic barbarian . The Eastern Empire (which included most of Greece) lasted another 977 years, finally falling to the Turks in 1453. 2. The EDUEDULDQV who came down from the north (France and Germany) and plundered the cities of the western empire. The people scattered, buildings were abandoned, and soon there were no large centers of culture in what had been the mighty Roman Empire. The population of the city of Rome dropped from approximately four million at the height of the Empire to under twenty six thousand in the fifth century. 3. The KRVWLOLW\RIWKH&KULVWLDQFKXUFK. The theatre was considered the shrine of Venus (a Roman god). By the fifth century (the 400s) actors were excommunicated. This ruling held in parts of Europe until the 18th century. ,QZKDWFHQWXU\ZDVWKHODVW5RPDQSHUIRUPDQFHJLYHQ" The VL[WK century. 533 AD, 1066 years after Thespis won the first Greek Tragedy Contest. Theatre Home Page E-mail questions and comments to Larry Wild at [email protected]. Last updated: November 4, 2003 Copyright © 1995-2003 by Larry Wild, Northern State University, Aberdeen, SD 57401 0HGLHYDO7KHDWUH 5HVRXUFHV 7H[W Wilson and Goldfarb. 7KHDWHU 7KH/LYHO\$UW, 4th edition: Chapter 11, pages 246 - 253 3OD\V Wakefield Cycle. 7KH6HFRQG6KHSKHUG V3OD\ 7KH3DVVLRQ3OD\ (YHU\PDQ :KDWPHGLHYDOLQVWLWXWLRQLVFUHGLWHGZLWKWKHUHELUWKRIZHVWHUQWKHDWUH" The Christian church. :KDWZDVDWURSHV" The WURSHV was a verbal (sung or chanted) embellishment, an insertion, into the liturgical text of the Mass. The most significant of these short embellishments was 4XHP4XDHULWLV, (925) "Whom Seek Ye," which was probably originally sung, antiphonally in Latin, by two sections of the choir. The four lines of text comes directly from the New Testament, (7KH*RVSHORI6W/XNH, Chapter 24). 4XHPTXDHULWLVLQVHSXOFKUR2&KULVWLFROH" -HVXP1D]DUHQXPFUXFLIL[XP2FDHOLFRODH 1RQHVWKLFVXUUH[LWVLFXWSUDHGL[HUDW ,WHQXQWLDWHTXLDVXUUH[LWGHVHSXOFKUR Whom seek ye in the sepulchre, O Christian women? Jesus of Nazareth, the crucified, O heavenly one. He is not here; He is risen, as he foretold. Go, announce that He has risen from the sepulchre. Within approximately 40 years, this short playlet is being performed not by the choir, but by IRXUEUHWKUHQ (priests) -- three representing the women who have gone to the tomb to anoint Christ's body with oil and the fourth representing the Angel. Bishop Ethelwold of Winchester, England, not only includes the text of 4XHP4XDHULWLV in 5HJXODULV&RQFRUGLD, a book of rules and advice for the English Benedictines, but gave directions on how to stage the action. 'XULQJZKLFK&KULVWLDQIHVWLYDOZHUHWKHVHHDUO\SOD\OHWVSHUIRUPHG" 4XHP4XDHULWLV was inserted into the (DVWHU0DVV. Within a short period of time, similar playlets were added to the &KULVWPDV and (SLSKDQ\ services. :KDWZDVWKHVRXUFHRIWKHVWRULHVZKLFKZHUHGUDPDWL]HG" The %LEOH. +RZZHUHWKHVHSOD\VVWDJHGLQVLGHWKHFKXUFK" 4XHP4XDHULWLV was presented near the high alter. As the playlets were extended and additional scenes were added, they were staged on a number of small "platforms" distributed around the church. Both the performer and the audience (congregation) would move from one "platform" (or scene) to the next. Giotto di Bondone (1267- 1337) used the same basic concept when he painted the twenty-three scenes of the /LIHRI&KULVW on the walls of the &DSSHOOD6FURYHJQL in Padua. :KDWZDVDPDQVLRQRUVWDWLRQ" The PDQVLRQ, or VWDWLRQ, was the scenic facade used to locate the action of the play. 7KHSODWHDX" The SODWHDX was the neutral playing area on which the actors performed. :KRZHUHWKHDFWRUV" The priests. :K\GXULQJWKHWKFHQWXU\ZHUHWKHVHSOD\VPRYHGRXWRIWKHFKXUFK" As the plays became longer and more complicated, it became more and more difficult to stage them indoors. There was also the feeling that the action in some of the plays, such as the 6ODXJKWHURIWKH ,QQRFHQWV from the 2UGR5DFKHOLV, an (SLSKDQ\3OD\, was too violent, too non-Christian, to be presented within the church. When the dramatic production moved out doors, the plays were presented (spoken, not sung) in the YHUQDFXODU (the language of the people) by laymen. Although the dramas were still religious, they were no longer a part of worship. :KRSURGXFHGWKHVHSOD\VDIWHUWKH\OHIWWKHFKXUFK" The trade guilds. These medieval unions provided the money and personal needed to present the plays. The church continued to provide the scripts and directorial leadership. :KDWLVDSDJHDQWZDJRQ" A pageant wagon held the PDQVLRQ, the SODWHDX, and a dressing area on one structure. This wagon stage would then be moved from one gathering of audience to the next, much like a float in a parade. See the illustrations on page 251. ,QZKLFKFRXQWU\ZDVLWXVHG" England. +RZZHUHWKHVHSOD\VVWDJHGRQWKH(XURSHDQFRQWLQHQW" The PDQVLRQV were arranged in a line, creating a "street," at the rear of a long narrow platform. At one end (stage right) of the street was the (QWUDQFHWR+HDYHQ or 3DUDGLVH and at the other end (stage left) was *DWHWR+HOO, the +HOOVPRXWK. The 6SHDUILVK3DVVLRQ3OD\ uses the continental approach to staging. See the illustration on page 252. :KDWLVWKHGLIIHUHQFHEHWZHHQDP\VWHU\SOD\DPLUDFOHSOD\DQGD PRUDOLW\SOD\" 0\VWHU\SOD\ The plot and characters were drawn from the books of the %LEOH It was the major form of Medieval drama. The best examples are the cycle plays of England. 7KH 0LUDFOHSOD\ Built its plot around the lives and the works of the saints. They were usually performed on the saint's feast day. Some of the scripts were biblical, others were not. 0RUDOLW\SOD\ These dramas were based on the spiritual trials of the average man. They formed a bridge between the Medieval religious plays and the secular dramas of the Renaissance. The plays were allegories about the moral temptations which beset every man. The location was every man's soul. The action of the drama was the battle between good and evil to posses man's soul. *LYHDVSHFLILFH[DPSOHRIDP\VWHU\SOD\"2IDPLUDFOHSOD\"2IDPRUDOLW\ SOD\" 0\VWHU\SOD\ 7KH6HFRQG6KHSKHUG V3OD\ (mid 15th century) from the Wakefield Cycle or 7KH3DVVLRQ3OD\. Probably the most famous 3DVVLRQ3OD\ is the 2EHUDPPHUJDX (Germany) 3DVVLRQ3OD\ which has been presented every ten years since the middle of the 17th century. 0LUDFOHSOD\ The four St. Nicholas plays from the )OHXU\3OD\ %RRN (13th century France) -- 7UHV)LOL (Three Daughters), 7UHV &OHULFL (Three Scholars), ,FRQLD6DQFWXV1LFKRODXV (Image of Saint Nicholas) and )LOLXV*HWURQLXV (Getron's Son). These plays were presented, in Latin, on St. Nicholas Day -- December 6th. 0RUDOLW\SOD\ (YHU\PDQ (late 15th century). Everyman is visited by Death. He is told that he can take one friend with him on his long journey. He approaches Fellowship, Kindred, Cousin, Goods, Knowledge, Discretion, Strength, Beauty, and Five Wits. All refuse. Only Good Deeds will join him on his journey. The moral is obvious. Theatre Home Page E-mail questions and comments to Larry Wild at [email protected]. Last updated: August 14, 2002 © 1995-2002 by Larry Wild, Northern State University, Aberdeen, SD 57401 5HQDLVVDQFH7KHDWUH ,WDO\ 5HVRXUFHV 7H[W Wilson and Goldfarb. 7KHDWHU 7KH/LYHO\$UW, 4th edition: Chapter 12, pages 255 - 264. 2XWVLGHUHDGLQJ Barnard Hewitt, editor. 7KH5HQDLVVDQFH6WDJH 'RFXPHQWVRI6HUOLR6DEEDWWLQL DQG)XUWWHQEDFK. Coral Gables, FL: University of Miami Press. 1958. 2SHUD Claudio Monteverdi. 2UIHR Giuseppe Verdi. $LGD 5HQDLVVDQFH7KHDWUH Italy | England | France | :KHQZDVWKH,WDOLDQUHQDLVVDQFH" 1550 to 1700. :KDWZDVWKH&RPPHGLDGHOO DUWH" The FRPPHGLD, the "comedy of professional artists," was the popular theatre of Renaissance Italy. +RZGLGLWGLIIHUIURPRWKHUWKHDWUHJURXSV" There were no scripts. All of the dialogue and much of the business was improvised. :KDWW\SHRIFRPHG\GLGWKHFRPPHGLDSHUIRUP" Farce. Low comedy. Comedy of pain. Slapstick. Four names for the same type of humor. :K\LVSK\VLFDOFRPHG\DOVRNQRZQDVVODSVWLFNFRPHG\" Much of the humor in a FRPPHGLD presentation was produced by one character beating another. The prop used to administer these beatings was called a "slapstick." It was supposed to produce more sound than pain. :KDWZDVWKHVFHQDULR" The plot outline posted back stage. /D]]L" Bits of comic business, performed by the actors, which were inserted into the play. The specific OD]]L to be performed was often indicated in the VFHQDULR. :K\FDQPRVWRIWKHFRPPHGLD VOD]]LQRWEHXVHGRQVWDJHWRGD\" Because most of these bits, especially those dealing with bodily functions would be considered obscene, or at least in bad taste, by a modern audience. 'HVFULEHWKHVWRFNFKDUDFWHUVXVHGE\WKHFRPPHGLD 7KHVWUDLJKWV-- A pair of young lovers. They were handsome, well- educated and witty. The dapper young man was usually opposed in his love affair by one of the masters (or perhaps his father). The young lady was sophisticated, noble and innocent. The character roles were divided into two major groups -- The 0DVWHUV and... ,O&DSLWDQR-- a pompous braggart and coward who boasted of his great prowess in love and battle, but was usually discredited in both. 3DQWDORQH-- a greedy, lustful, meddling old man. Often a merchant. ,O'RWWRUH-- often a friend of 3DQWDORQH. He was a professor (or physician) who spouted inaccurate Latin. His standard dress was the academic cap and gown. The 6HUYDQWV There were at least two servants or ]DQQL. One smart and one less smart. The less smart servant was usually an insolent liar, thief and/or drunkard. Much (perhaps most) of the humor came through the actions of the servants. +RZGRWKHVHFKDUDFWHUVFRPSDUHZLWKWKRVHXVHGE\3ODXWXV" The stock characters of the FRPPHGLD were very similar to the characters which appeared in Plautus' Roman comedies. :KDWZDVWKHFRPPHGLD VLQIOXHQFHRQ0ROLHUHDQG6KDNHVSHDUH" Both Moliere (France: 1622-1673) and Shakespeare (England: 1564- 1616) borrowed (or stole) both characters, bits of comic business (OD]]L) and plots from the FRPPHGLD. Moliere's 7KH'RFWRULQ6SLWHRI +LPVHOI is based on a FRPPHGLD VFHQDULR. There are scenes in Shakespeare's 7DPLQJRIWKH6KUHZand $OO V:HOO7KDW(QGV:HOO that come directly from the FRPPHGLD. :KDWZDVWKHILUVW2SHUD" 'DIQH (1597), text by Ottavio Rinuccini (1562-1621), music by Jacopo Peri (1561-1633) was staged during the pre-Lenten Carnival at 3DOD]]R&RUVL. Rincuccini's text (but not Peri's music), which included a prologue and six scenes, was published in 1600. :KDWJURXSSURGXFHGLW" The &DPHUDWD)LRUHQWLQD, an association (or "academy") of wealthy Italians who studied the arts (including music and drama) of ancient Greece and Rome. ,QZKDWFLW\ZHUHWKH\ORFDWHG" Florence. :KDWZHUHWKH\DWWHPSWLQJWRGR" Recreate an "authentic Greek tragedy." They knew from Aristotle that music was a major part of Greek drama. But they did not know what ancient Greek music sounded like, so they created their own, which was probably more Renaissance than Greek. The earliest surviving opera is Peri's setting of Rinuccini's (XULGLFH which was performed for the marriage of King Henry of Navarre to Marie de Medici at the Medici's 3DOD]]R3LWWL on October 6, 1600. Unlike 'DIQH, the score for (XULGLFH was published in 1601. :KRGRPRVWPXVLFKLVWRULDQVFRQVLGHUWKHILUVWJUHDWRSHUDFRPSRVHU" Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643), a court composer from Mantua. His first opera, 2UIHR (1607), like both 'DIQH and (XULGLFH were adaption of Greek legends. :KDWFKDQJHVGLGKHPDNHLQWKHRULJLQDOPXVLFDOVW\OHRIRSHUD" He increased the size and importance of the orchestra. He established a formula which would be followed into the 20th century. This formula divided an opera into two units: One was musical and consisted of solos, duets, trios, and choruses; the other was dramatic and consisted of chanted, semi-sung, dialogue. The musical part gave the show color, and helped establish characters; the dramatic part moved the "play" along, relating the action of the opera to the audience. :KDWLVWKHGLIIHUHQFHEHWZHHQDQDULDDQGDUHFLWDWLYH" $ULD-- A solo sung by one of the opera's major characters. 5HFLWDWLYH-- The chanted dialogue which joined the opera's musical moments. :KRLVWKHPRVWRIWHQSURGXFHGRSHUDFRPSRVHURQWKHVWDJHRI 0HWURSROLWDQ2SHUDLQ1HZ Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901). ,QZKLFKFHQWXU\GLGKHOLYH" 19th. :KHUHZDVKHIURP" Italy. He was born in Parma and died in Milan, the home of 7HDWUR DOOD6FDOD (/D6FDOD Opera) :KDWRSHUDGLGKHFRPSRVHIRUWKHRSHQLQJRIWKH&DLUR2SHUD+RXVH" $LGD (1871). It is probably his most famous, and grandest opera. It is also one of the few, perhaps only, Verdi opera which is not based on an earlier drama. It was an original story drawn from Egypt's colorful history. :KRZDV5LFKDUG:DJQHU" Richard Wagner (1813 - 1883) was a German composer who believed that opera should be a "total art work." He created PXVLF GUDPDV (not operas), based on Teutonic myths and legends, which unified the elements of music, drama, design and movement. In Wagner's PXVLFGUDPD, there was no longer a distinction between a UHFLWDWLYH and an DULD, instead there was one long continuous melody line. In his later work, these melody lines were created by combining musical themes (PRWLIV) which represented different characters, objects, and emotions in the drama. :KDWLVDOHLWPRWLI" /HLWPRWLI is a clearly defined musical theme, representing a person, object or idea, which appears at the appropriate moment in a dramatic (usually an opera or film) work. In addition to the PXVLF GUDPDV of Wagner, OHLWPRWLIV can be seen in John Williams' scores for the three ,QGLDQD-RQHV and five 6WDU:DUV films. :KDWLVFRQVLGHUHG:DJQHU VPDVWHUSLHFH" 'HU5LQJGHV1LEHOXQJHQ (1876). The "Ring" is actually four PXVLF GUDPDV: 'DV5KHLQJROG ("Rhinegold"), 'LH:DONXUH ("The Valkyries"), 6LHJIULHG and *RWWHUGDPPHUXQJ ("The Twilight of the Gods") with a combined playing time of seventeen hours. Wagner began working on 5KHLQJROG in November 1851 and finished *RWWHUGDPPHUXQJ, the last of the series, in November 1874. The premiere performance in August 1876 was on the stage of Wagner's just opened opera house ()HVWVSLHOKDXV) in Bayreuth. :KRZDV0DUFXV9LWUXYLXV3ROOLR" Marcus Vitruvius Pollio, better known as Vitruvius (90-20 BC) was a Roman writer, architect and military engineer who we believe served both Julius Caesar and Caesar Augustus. :KDWZDVWKHWLWOHRIKLVPRVWLQIOXHQFLDOZRUN" GH$UFKLWHFWXUDOLEULGHFHP (ca. 27 BC) -- the ten books on architecture -- describe existing Roman and Greek practices, not only in design and construction, but also in engineering. His ten books include topics on the manufacture of building materials, machines for heating water for the public baths, speech amplification in the theatre, and the design of roads and bridges. %RRN9 covers public buildings including both Greek (Chapter 7) and Roman (Chapter 6) theatres. In the text he not only describes the buildings, but gives advice on how they should be built: I have therefore given such definite directions for the conduct of works, that those already executed, as well as those hereafter to be constructed, may be by you well known and understood. In the following pages I have developed all the principles of the art. (Preface, %RRN,, Joseph Gwilt's translation, 1826). Vitruvius' manuscript was rediscovered in 1415 and published, in Latin, in Rome in 1486. Daniele Barbaro's (1513-1570) Italian translation, published in Venice in 1556, contained 125 illustrations by Andrea Palladio (1508-1580). The effect this work had on Renaissance architecture is monumental. Link to a Joseph Gwilt's 1826 English translation of Vitruvius' GH $UFKLWHFWXUD%RRN9&KDSWHU5RPDQ7KHDWUH and GH $UFKLWHFWXUD%RRN9&KDSWHU*UHHN7KHDWUH. :KDWLVWKH7HDWUR2OLPSLFR" 7HDWUR2OLPSLFR (1580 - 1584), a 3000 seat "academic" theatre, is the oldest surviving Renaissance playhouse. It is a combination of the old - a classical Roman facade (VFDHQDIURQV) designed by Andrea Palladio (1508-1580) and the new -- a perspective vista of the seven road to Thebes -- designed by Palladio's student: Vincenzo Scamozzi (1552-1616). In the photo to the left, QRWH the perspective vistas (street scenes) behind each of the archs, the level stage floor in front of the openings, the oval RUFKHVWUD, and the steep FDYHD. Compare the 7HDWUR 7HDWUR2OLPSLFRGL9LFHQ]D 2OLPSLFR (the image on the left and photograph on page 261) with the Roman Theatre at Orange (page 229) or the 7HDWUR5RPDQRGL9ROWHUUD. Link to a 3D interactive view of 7HDWUR2OLPSLFR: 9LVLRQH WULGLPHQVLRQDOHHLQWHUDWWLYD GHO7HDWUR2OLPSLFR. :KHUHLVLWORFDWHG" Vicenza. :KDWZDVWKHDUFKLWHFWDWWHPSWLQJWRDFRPSOLVK" The architect, Andrea Palladio, was attempting to create for the $FFDGHPLD2OLPSLFD an accurate, miniature, indoor Roman theatre for the presentation of classical drama (Scamozzi's vistas were created for the 1585 $FFDGHPLD production of Sophocles' 2HGLSXV 5H[). He based his design on Vitruvius' GH$UFKLWHFWXUD, which he had illustrated in 1556 and his study of the ruins of 7HDWUR%HUJDGL 9LFHQ]D. :KDWLVWKHUHODWLRQVKLSEHWZHHQWKH7HDWUR2OLPSLFRDQG7HDWUR2OLPSLFR GL6DEELRQHWD" The 7HDWURGL6DEELRQHWD (1588-1590) also known as the 7HDWUR2OLPSLFRGL 6DEELRQHWD and the 7HDWUR DOO $QWLFDGL6DEELRQHWD was designed by Vincenzo Scamozzi, the architect who created the perspective vistas for Palladio's 7HDWUR 2OLPSLFR This small, intimate, 250 seat playhouse contained only five rows in the FDYHD and a scenic vista containing a single street. It is generally believed that this playhouse is the first European indoor theatre built specifically as a theatre. (7HDWUR2OLPSLFR was built 3ODQDQG6HFWLRQ into an existing structures.) 7HDWURGL6DELRQHWWD Carved into the exterior facade of the playhouse is 520$48$17$)8,7,36$ 58,1$'2&(7 (+RZJUHDW 5RPHKDVEHHQKHUVHOIWKH UXLQVWHDFKV). 1RWH in Scamozzi's plan and sectional study to the left the sharply raked stage floor and the location of the perspective vanishing point outside of the building. :KDWLVWKHLPSRUWDQFHRIWKH7HDWUR)DUQHVH",QZKDWFLW\ZDVLWORFDWHG" The 3000 seat 7HDWUR)DUQHVH, the ILUVWSHUPDQHQW SURVFHQLXPWKHDWUH, was built into the Great Hall (a former armoury) of the 3DOD]]RGHOOD3LORWWD in 3DUPD for the 1618 visit of &RVLPR,,GH 0HGLFL. Because the visit was canceled, the first presentation on the stage, Monteverdi's 0HUFXULRH0DUWH, was not given until December 1628. The theatre was used, primarily for offical state functions (such as a Royal wedding), for 104 years before being abandoned. The SDOD]]R was almost completely destroyed by Allied bombs during World War II (1944). It was rebuilt, following Giovanni Battista 7HDWUR)DUQHVH Aleotti's (1546-1636) original plans in the 1950 and reopened in 1962. Link to a virtual tour of three Parma Theatres including 7HDWUR)DUQHVH. All three Rennaisance theatres -- 7HDWUR2OLPSLFRGL9LFHQ]D, 7HDWUR GL6DEELRQHWD, and 7HDWUR)DUQHVHGL3DUPD -- still exist. :KRZDV6HEDVWLDQR6HUOLR" Serlio (1475-1554) was an Italian writer and court architect. He wrote one of the first stage craft manuals, 5HJROHJHQHUDOLGL DUFKLWHWWXUD, (1545) which not only described the sets for three types of plays, but also gave instructions on how to lay out the theatre within a palace's great banqueting hall, create the perspective scene, light the set and seat the patrons. ,QKLVERRN$UFKLWHWWXUDKHGHVFULEHGDQGLOOXVWUDWHGWKUHHVHWVZKLFKKH EHOLHYHGFRXOGEHXVHGIRUDOOSOD\V:KDWGLGWKH\ORRNOLNH" 7UDJHGLHV Halls of government: Court buildings, war memorials, civil monuments... &RPHGLHV Where the people live: Inns, guild halls, churches, homes... 3DVWRUDOV In the woods. 6HUOLR 7UDJLF6HW :KRZDV6HUOLR VVRXUFH" Marcus Vitruvius. In Book Five of GH$UFKLWHFWXUD he states (in Latin) ... There are three sorts of scenes, the Tragic, the Comic, and the Satyric. The decorations of these are different from each other. The WUDJLF scenes are ornamented with columns, pediments, statues, and of the royal decorations. The FRPLF scene represents private buildings and galleries, with windows similar to those in ordinary dwellings. The VDW\ULF scene is ornamented with trees, caves, hills, and of the rural objects in imitation of nature. ((QJOLVKWUDQVODWLRQE\-RVHSK*ZLOW) %ULHIO\GHVFULEHKRZWKH\ZHUHODLGRXW All three used the same basic layout. There was a street center stage, with three "houses" on each side. At the back was a triumphal arch (in the tragic set), or an entrance to a church (in the comic set). A backdrop was hung upstage to hide the backwall. Scamozzi's vista for the 7HDWURGL6DEELRQHWD is based on the writings / drawings of Serlio. :KDWLVWKHGLIIHUHQFHEHWZHHQDZLQJDERUGHUDQGDEDFNGURS" :LQJ A piece of scenery (a wood frame covered with linen) on the side of the stage used to mask the side walls of the theatre. %RUGHU A piece of scenery hung above the stage used to hide the rafters, pulleys, and ropes used to change the scenery. %DFNGURS A large piece of scenery at the rear of the set used to mask the back wall. In many renaissance theatres the "backdrop" was actually a pair of shutters (a large wood frame covered with linen) which could split in the center for storage off stage. :KRZHUHWKHILUVWVWDJHKDQGWRZRUNDQ,WDOLDQUHQDLVVDQFHWKHDWUH" Italian sailors. Much of theatrical terminology (Deck instead of floor; ladder instead of steps; line instead of rope; batten instead of pipe; shivs instead of pulley) comes from the sea. Go to... Italy | England | France Theatre Home Page E-mail questions and comments to Larry Wild at [email protected]. Last updated: November 7, 2003 © 1995-2003 by Larry Wild, Northern State University, Aberdeen, SD 57401 5HQDLVVDQFH7KHDWUH (QJODQG 8QGHUWKH5HLJQRI 4XHHQ(OL]DEHWK, .LQJ-DPHV,RI(QJODQG .LQJ&KDUOHV, 5HVRXUFHV 7H[W Wilson and Goldfarb. 7KHDWHU 7KH/LYHO\$UW, 4th edition: Chapter 12, pages 264 - 274. 3OD\V (QJOLVK5HQDLVVDQFH Christopher Marlowe. 'RFWRU)DXVWXV. William Shakespeare. +DPOHW William Shakespeare. 5LFKDUG,,, William Shakespeare. 7DPLQJRIWKH6KUHZ ,QWHUQHW Furness Shakespeare Library The Complete Works of William Shakespeare The Internet Shakespeare Editions Index of the New Globe: A site dedicated to the reconstruction of the Globe Theatre. Shakespeare's Life and Times Shakespeare's Works 5HQDLVVDQFH7KHDWUH Italy | England | France :KDWDUHWKHWZRPDMRUURRWVRI(QJOLVKGUDPD" x Through the study, adaption and performance of Classical Greek and Roman Drama at the English Colleges and Universities and... x Through the plays written and performed by the professional acting troupes. Thomas Preston's (1537-1598) $/DPHQWDEOH7UDJHG\0L[HGIXOORI 3OHDVDQW0LUWK&RQWDLQLQJWKH/LIHRI&DPE\VHV.LQJRI3HUVLD (1561), written for a small professional acting company, mixes "real" characters like King Cambyses with allagorical characters such as Shame, Diligence, Common's Cry, Cruelty, and Murder. :KDWLVWKHLPSRUWDQFHRI*RUERGXF" It is considered the first "true" English tragedy. The playwrights, two university students: Thomas Sacksville (1536-1608) and Thomas Norton (1532-1584), drew both their characters and plots from English history (legend). *RUERGXF (1561), like much of the work of Marlowe and Shakespeare was written in blank verse -- unrhymed iambic pentameter -- verse of five feet per line, with the stress on the first beat of each foot. :KRZDVWKHPDMRUSUH6KDNHVSHDUHDQSOD\ZULJKW" Christopher Marlowe (1564-1593). :KDWW\SHRIGUDPDVGLGKHZULWH" Historical tragedies. :KDWLVWKHWLWOHRIKLVPRVWRIWHQUHYLYHGZRUN" 'RFWRU)DXVWXV (1589). :KRZDVWKHPDMRU(OL]DEHWKDQSOD\ZULJKW" :LOOLDP6KDNHVSHDUH (1564-1616). In addition to being a playwright, he was also an actor and shareholder in the King's Men and a householder in the Globe. The official Shakespeare canon contains 38 plays: the 36 works included in the )LUVW)ROLR (1623) and two works, 3HULFOHV (1609) and 7ZR1REOH.LQVPHQ (1634), which appeared only in quartos editions. :KDWDUHWKHWKUHHJURXSVLQWRZKLFKKLVSOD\VDUHGLYLGHG" 7UDJHGLHV (11 scripts), &RPHGLHV (16 titles) and +LVWRU\ plays (9 plays). The three groups were established by the publishers of the )LUVW)ROLR in 1623. *LYHDQH[DPSOHRIRQHRIKLVWUDJHGLHV" 5RPHRDQG-XOLHW (1594-95), +DPOHW (1600-01), 2WKHOOR (1602), .LQJ /HDU (1606) 0DFEHWK (1606). :KDWLVJHQHUDOO\FRQVLGHUHGKLV JUHDWHVWWUDJHG\" +DPOHW. &RPHGLHV" 7DPLQJRIWKH6KUHZ (1594), 0HUFKDQWRI9HQLFH (1595-96). $V +LVWRU\SOD\V" The Richard and Henry plays. 5LFKDUG,, (1594-95), 5LFKDUG,,, (1592-93), +HQU\,9: parts 1 and 2 (1597-98), +HQU\9 (1599), +HQU\9,: parts 1 through 3 (1591-92), and +HQU\9,,, (1613). The plots and characters for the history plays are drawn from 7KH:DURI WKH5RVHV (1455-1485): the conflict between the house of York and the house of Lancaster over which family was the rightful heir to the English throne. :KDWZDVWKHGLIIHUHQFHEHWZHHQKLVIDUFLFDOFRPHGLHV His farcical comedies, like 7DPLQJRIWKH6KUHZ and 7KH0HUU\ :LYHVRI:LQGVRU (1599), place most of their emphasis on physical comedy. 0HUU\:LYHV is also the only Shakespearean play set in Elizabethan England. KLVVHULRXVFRPHGLHVDQGKLV His serious comedies, such as 7KH0HUFKDQWRI9HQLFH and 0HDVXUH IRU0HDVXUH (1601-04), are serious dramas with a happy ending. URPDQWLFFRPHGLHV" His romantic comedies, like 7ZHOWK1LJKW (1600-01) and $V :K\LVWKH0HUFKDQWRI9HQLFHDGDUNFRPHG\" Because Antonio, the merchant of Venice, does not lose his pound of flesh. /LVWIRXUEDVLFSURGXFWLRQSUREOHPVHQFRXQWHUHGZKHQDQHGXFDWLRQDO WKHDWUHDWWHPSWVWRVWDJHD6KDNHVSHDUHDQGUDPD x They are long. The running time for +DPOHW is close to five hours, x They require large, mostly male casts, x Many of the major roles are difficult, usually beyond the scope of a college student, and x The language is difficult to understand, and speak. :KDWLVWKHGLIIHUHQFHEHWZHHQD TXDUWRVDQGDIROLR" The TXDUWRV were small books (5"x6") which contained a single play. Nineteen scripts were published in quartos editions between 1594 and 1622. The IROLR was a large book (8.5"x13") which included a collection of scripts. :KDWLVWKHGLIIHUHQFHEHWZHHQDJRRG TXDUWRVDQGDEDGTXDUWRV" The JRRGTXDUWRV were those authorized publications based on the prompt books (scripts) held by the acting company. The EDGTXDUWRV were those un-authorized publications based on the faulty memory of an un- happy actor who was no longer a member of the troupe. There were EDG, or corrupt, versions of only 6 of of the 19 plays published between 1594 and 1622. The cover page of 0U:LOOLDP6KDNHVSHDUHV :KHQZDVWKH)LUVW)ROLRSXEOLVKHG" &RPHGLHV+LVWRULHV 7UDJHGLHV known as Five hundred copies of the were printed in 7KH)LUVW)ROLR, )LUVW)ROLR Published 1623 1623, seven years after Source Shakespeare's death. +RZPDQ\SOD\VGLGLWFRQWDLQ" Thirty six, including eighteen plays which had not been previously published. 3HULFOHV (1609), which was printed in a quartos edition was not included in the )LUVW )ROLR. :KDWZDVWKHGLIIHUHQFHEHWZHHQDSULYDWHDQGDSXEOLFWKHDWUH" 3ULYDWH theatres were the small (capacity: 700), expensive (6d) indoor theatres. The SXEOLF theatres were the large (capacity: 3000), inexpensive (1d) open air playhouses. In 1600 five public playhouses -- the Globe, the Curtain, the Fortune, the Rose. and the Swan -- operated just outside the city of London. :KDWZDVWKHQDPHRIWKHILUVWSURIHVVLRQDO(QJOLVKSOD\KRXVH" 7KHDWUH "Theatre" was not a term generally used to identify an English playhouse. When the second playhouse opened, it was known simply as the Curtain, not the Curtain Theatre. :KHQZDVLWEXLOW" 1576. %\ZKRP" James Burbage (c. 1530-1597), joiner turned actor, member of the Earl of Leicester's Men (1559-1588), and the father of Richard Burbage, the leading actor of and a shareholder in the King's Men. :K\ZDVLWQRWEXLOWLQWKHFLW\RI/RQGRQ" Because the city fathers would not permit the construction of a professional theatre within the city limits. Public playhouses were built either in the suburbs north and east of the city, or just south of the Thames River in area known as Bankside. Actors were considered, just a little above rouges and vagabonds. :KDWZDVWKHUHODWLRQVKLSEHWZHHQWKH7KHDWUHDQGWKH*OREH" The Globe was built from the timbers of the Theatre. The 7KHDWUH was built on rented land. When the lease ran out in 1597, the landlord, Giles Allen, threatened to destory the structure. Richard Burbage and his acting company, dismantled the Theatre, took it through the city of London, and rebuilt it south of the Thames River in Bankside. When it reopened in 1599 it was renamed the *OREH. From a contemporary source, in Elizabethan English: GLYHUVSHUVRQVWRWKHQXPEHURIWZHOYHDUPHG WKHPVHOYHVDQGWKURZLQJGRZQHWKHVD\G7KHDWHULQ YHU\HRXWUDJLRXVµYLROHQWDQGULRWRXVVRUWGLGWKHQ DOVRHLQPRVWIRUFLEOHDQGU\RWRXVPDQQHUWDNHDQG FDUU\HDZD\HIURPWKHQFHDOOWKHZRRGDQGWLPEHU WKHUHRIXQWRWKH%DQFNV\GHLQWKHSDULVKHRI6W0DU\H 2YHU\HVDQGWKHUHHUHFWHGDQHZHSOD\HKRZVHZLWK WKHVD\GWLPEHUDQGZRRGH Source This theatre burned on June 28, 1613 during a production of Shakespeare's +HQU\9,,,, and was rebuilt in 1614. The Globe, along with every other English playhouse was closed in 1642. It was dismantled in 1644. A small portion of the original site was excavated in the fall of 1989. The third Globe, built about 200 yards from the original site opened in June 1997. See the Index to the New Globe Web site for more information on this reconstruction. :KDWGLGWKH*OREHORRNOLNH" The Globe was a 20 (or 24) sided structure which closely resembled a circle. There was a courtyard (also known as the yard or pit) in the center surrounded by two or three levels of balconies (or galleries). The stage (or forestage) was backed against one of the sides and jutted into the center of the courtyard. See the illustration on page 269. :KDWDUHWKHSULPDU\VRXUFHVRILQIRUPDWLRQRQWKHOD\RXWRIDQ (OL]DEHWKDQWKHDWUH" There are four: x The stage directions in the texts of Elizabethan plays. x Philip Henslowe's contract for the construction of the Fortune. The ground plan on page 270 is based on this document. x A Dutch visitor's sketch of the Swan. See the illustration on page 271. x The 1989 archaeological excavation of a small portion of the historical site of the Globe. :KDWZDVWKH\DUGRUSLW" The courtyard, where the audience stood to watch a performance. 7KHIRUHVWDJH" That part of the stage where most of the action occurred. This 28' by 43' platform jutted into the center of the pit. The dimensions are based on Philip Henslow's construction contract for the Fortune. 7KHLQQHUEHORZ" The curtained discovery area (a small "stage") at the rear of the forestage. 7KHLQQHUDERYH" The curtained discovery area above the inner below on the second level. 7KHKHDYHQV" The roof over the forestage. :KRZHUHWKHJURXQGOLQJV" The poorest members of the audience who paid 1 penny to stand in the pit. The wealthy paid an additional penny for the right to sit in the galleries. :KDWGLGLWPHDQZKHQDIODJZDVIORZQRYHUWKHWKHDWUH" There would be a performance in the theatre that afternoon. :KDWW\SHRIWKHDWUHZDV%ODFNIUDLUV" An indoor private theatre. Blackfriars was built into a large (101' x 46') room in what had originally been a Dominican Monastery. :KHUHZDVLWORFDWHG" Within the walled city of London. :K\ZDV%ODFNIUDLUVXQGHUWKHFRQWURORIWKH.LQJ" Between 1535 and 1540, King Henry VIII, Queen Elizabeth's father, who had already broken with the Roman Catholic church, dissolved the English monasteries and transferred their property to the crown. :KHQGLGLWEHFRPHWKHZLQWHUKRPHRIWKH.LQJ V0HQ" 1610. After 1610, Blackfriars was their winter home, and the Globe was their summer home. :K\ZDVLWQHFHVVDU\IRUDQ(OL]DEHWKDQDFWLQJFRPSDQ\WRKDYHDSDWURQ" Acting in Elizabethan England was not considered an occupation, therefore, if an actor was not a servant to a noble or royal family (the patron) he could be classed as a "rogue or vagabond" under the 7XGRU3RRU/DZRI and could be whipped or put to death. :KRZHUHWKH.LQJ V0HQ" The leading English acting company between 1603 and 1642. :KRZDVWKHOHDGLQJDFWRURIWKHFRPSDQ\"Richard Burbage. 7KHUHVLGHQWSOD\ZULJKW"William Shakespeare. 7KHSDWURQ"King James I. ,QZKLFKWKHDWUHGLGWKH\SHUIRUP" The Globe. :KDWZDVWKHHFRQRPLFRUJDQL]DWLRQRIDQ(OL]DEHWKDQDFWLQJFRPSDQ\" An Elizabethan acting company was a stock company in both the theatrical and economic sense of the term. A theatrical stock company cast all of its shows from within its resident company of actors. :KDWZDVWKHGLIIHUHQFHEHWZHHQDVKDUHKROGHU The VKDUHKROGHU held an economic interest in the acting company, and would share in its profits or losses. On a good day, a performance of a new script would generate gross gate recepits of approximately 3 pounds. After the expenses were paid, the remaining moneys would be divided between the shareholders. Around 1600, a share (10 percent interest) in a successful acting company was worth about 70 pounds. DKRXVHKROGHU The KRXVHKROGHU held an economic interest in the theatre in which the acting company performed, and would share in the theatre's profits or losses. DQGDKLUHOLQJ" The KLUHOLQJ was an actor ( musician, stage manager, wardrobe keeper, prompter or stage hand) employed by the acting company. He was paid between 5 and 10 shillings per week. Approximately half of his wages would be spent on food. :KDWZDVWKHFRVWRIOLYLQJLQ(OL]DEHWKDQ(QJODQG" A male journeyman laborer earned about 2s6d per week plus food and drink. 5 shillings if he had to provide his own food. A live in maid was paid 10d a week A house rented for approximately 11s6d and food cost between 2s6d and 5s. The value of the three denominations of English currency-- 12d (penny) = 1s (shilling). 20s = £1 (pound). :HUHZRPHQDOORZHGLQDQ(OL]DEHWKDQDFWLQJFRPSDQ\" No ,IQRWZKRSOD\HGWKHZRPHQ VUROHV" Women©s parts were played by young boys (age 10 to 20) who were apprenticed to individual actors in the company. They traditionally received room and board plus 3 shillings per week. +RZGLGWKLVHIIHFWWKH(OL]DEHWKDQSOD\ZULJKWV" Elizabethan playwrights included very few women in the casts of their plays. For example, +DPOHW© s cast includes 27 men, and 2 women; .LQJ/HDU: 20 men and 3 women; 0DFEHWK: 21 men and 6 women; and 5RPHRDQG-XOLHW: 17 men and 4 women. :KRZDVWKHJDWKHUHU" The most trusted member of the company. :KDWGLGKHGR" He collected the penny general admission from the audience as they entered the theatre. The same penny would purchase 24oz of bread, one pound of beef or mutton, or 2/3 gallon of beer. :KRFORVHGWKHWKHDWUHVLQ":K\" Parliament. All English professional theatres were closed in 1642 by order of Parliament to "appease and avert the wrath of God." :KDWGLG&KDUOHV,,GRXSRQWKHGHDWKRIKLVIDWKHU.LQJ&KDUOHV," When King Charles was arrested, tried and executed for treason in 1649, his son, Charles II fled first to Scotland and then France. :KRZDV2OLYHU&URPZHOO":KDWWLWOHGLGKHKROG" Oliver Cromwell (1599-1658) led the Parlimentary forces to victory over the supporters of King Charles during the English Civil War (1642-1649). He was the "Lord General" of the English Commonwealth, ruling under the authority of Parliment until 1653 when he disbanded Parliment, and appointed himself the "/RUG 3URWHFWRURI(QJODQG," a title he held till his death in 1658. He was succeeded by his son Richard, whose inept rule brought about the downfall of the Commonwealth and the return of Charles II from France. :KHQZDVWKH(QJOLVKFURZQUHVWRUHGWR&KDUOHV,," 1660. Go to... Italy | England | France Theatre Home Page E-mail questions and comments to Larry Wild at [email protected]. Last updated: August 29, 2003 © 1995-2003 by Larry Wild, Northern State University, Aberdeen, SD 57401 5HQDLVVDQFH7KHDWUH )UDQFH 5HVRXUFHV 7H[W Wilson and Goldfarb. 7KHDWHU 7KH/LYHO\$UW, 4th edition: Chapter 12, pages 279 - 284. 3OD\V Pierre Corneille. /H&LG Jean Racine. 3KHGUH Moliere. 7DUWXIIH 5HQDLVVDQFH7KHDWUH Italy | England | France :KHQZDVWKH)UHQFKUHQDLVVDQFH" 1630 to 1700. :KRLV)UDQFH VJUHDWHVWFRPLFSOD\ZULJKW" Jean Baptiste Poquelin (1622-1673), better known as Moliere. :K\GLG-HDQ%DSWLVWH3RTXHOLQFKDQJHKLVQDPHWR0ROLHUH" Jean Baptiste Poquelin's father was a minor official (royal upholsterer and furniture maker) in the court of King Louis XIII (reigned 1610-1643). When Jean Baptiste decided to become an actor, (his father wanted him to become a lawyer) and organized the 7KHDWUH,OOXVWUH in 1643, his father requested that he change his name so Jean would not embarrass either his family or the King's court. Acting was still an unacceptable profession in France. :KDWWZRW\SHVRIFRPHGLHVGLGKHZULWH" Moliere's ten major works are divided into two groups: (1) the farcical comedies (primarily influenced by the &RPPHGLD) and the (2) high comedies (comedy of character). /LVWWKHWLWOHRIRQHPDMRUZRUNIURPHDFKJURXS" Farcical comedy-- 7KH'RFWRU,Q6SLWHRI+LPVHOI (1666), 7KH7ULFNV RI6FDSLQH(1671) Comedy of character-- 7DUWXIIH(1664, 67, 69), See the Play Synopsis on page 184. 7KH0LVHU (1668), 7KH,PDJLQDU\,QYDOLG (1673) +RZGLGKHGLH":KHUH" He died (at the age of 51) on stage at the opening performance of 7KH ,PDJLQDU\,QYDOLG (1673). :K\ZDVKHQRWEXULHG" Because Moliere was an actor, as well as a playwright, and all actors had been excommunicated from the church since the middle ages. The standard practice was that an actor would confess his sin (of acting) before he died, would be reconciled with the church, and could then be buried in hallowed ground. But Moliere died on stage before he had a chance to confess his sins, so he did not die in a state of grace. :KDWLVWKH&RPHGLH)UDQFDLVH" The &RPHGLH)UDQFDLVH is considered by many to be the "world's first national theatre." 'RHVLWVWLOOH[LVWWRGD\" Yes. It is still the most important French speaking theatre in Paris. +RZZDVLWFUHDWHG" It was created in 1680, seven years after Moliere's death, by King Louis XIV (reigned 1643-1715). He combined Moliere's company with the two other Parisian acting companies producing a much larger and more powerful organization. He also granted the &RPHGLH a monopoly over all French spoken drama. In 1689 the company moved into their own facility. See the ground plan on page 283. :KRVHSOD\VGRHVLWSHUIRUP" Primarily the neoclassical works of Moliere, Racine and Corneille. They also present significant French drama from the 18th, 19th, and 20th century. :KDWW\SHRIGUDPDVGLG3LHUUH&RUQLHOOHZULWH" Although Pierre Cornielle (1606-1684) did write comedies, he is primarily remembered for his tragedies. :KDWLVWKHWLWOHRIKLVPRVWLPSRUWDQWZRUN" /H&LG (1636) was a turning point in French drama. It percipitated the literary battle which would lead to the triumph of the neoclassical ideal. This battle was settled by the $FDGHPLH)UDQFDLVH in 1638 when it published 7KH-XGJHPHQWRIWKH$FDGHP\RQ/H&LG. :KDWZDVWKH$FDGHPLH)UDQFDLVH" An organization, chartered in 1637, patterned after the Italian academies, and limited to "forty men of letters." The guiding force behind the $FDGHPLH was Cardinal Richelieu (1586-1642). :K\ZDVLWIRUPHG":KDWZDVLWVIXQFWLRQ" According to the $FDGHPLH's web site (www.academie-francaise.fr), translated from French by the Google Language Tools... The mission which was assigned to him right from the start was to fix the French language, to give him rules, to make it pure and comprehensible by all. :KDWDUHWKHILYHQHRFODVVLFDOUXOHVRIGUDPDWLFVWUXFWXUH" The five neoclassical rules established by the $FDGHPLH)UDQFDLVH were ... 1. Anything which happens on stage must be able to happen in real life, 2. Every drama must preach a moral lesson by showing that good will be rewarded and that evil will be punished, 3. There could be no mixing of dramatic styles -- a play was either a comedy or tragedy, but not a tragicomedy 4. A play must observe the three unities (time, place and action), and 5. A drama must be divided into five acts. :K\ZHUHVROLORTXLHVQRWDOORZHGLQQHRFODVVLFDO)UHQFKGUDPD" Because in a realistic presentation a soliloquy is a character talking to himself, something which is not very "real." :KDWW\SHRIFKDUDFWHUVZHUHSHUPLWWHGLQDQHRFODVVLFDOWUDJHG\" A tragedy must draw its characters from the nobility. The plot must deal with affairs of state (who will be the next king), the ending must be tragic (everyone dies) and the dialogue poetic. &RPHG\" A comedy should draw its characters from the middle and lower classes. The plot should deal with domestic affairs (a love story), the ending should be happy (everyone gets married), and the dialogue should be written in prose. :KDWW\SHRIGUDPDVGLG-HDQ5DFLQHZULWH" Jean Racine (1639-1699) is remembered for his neoclassic tragedies. :KDWZDVWKHVRXUFHRIKLVSOD\V" He adapted Greek tragedies, primarily the works of Euripides. His most important work is 3KHGUH (1677) based on Euripides' +LSSRO\WXV. :KLFK3LHUUH&RUQHLOOHRU-HDQ5DFLQHLV)UDQFH VPRVWLPSRUWDQWWUDJLF SOD\ZULJKW" Jean Racine. 2IWKHZRUNVRI&RUQHLOOH5DFLQHDQG0ROLHUHZKLFKKDYHKDGWKHPRVW UHYLYDOVLQWKH(QJOLVKVSHDNLQJWKHDWUH" The comedies of Moliere. :K\" The tragedies of Racine and Corneille are both very talky. There is little action. English speaking audiences like to see something happen on stage, and there is quite a bit more action in the comedies of Moliere. :KDWZDVWKH+RWHOGH%RXUJRJQH" The +RWHOGH%RXUJRJQH, built in 1548 by the &RQIUDWHUQLW\RIWKH 3DVVLRQ, was France's first permanent theatre. The long narrow (40' x 96') structure (with a 33' deep platform stage) occupied the second floor of what had been the town house of the Duke of Burgundy. In 1402 Charles VI granted the &RQIUDWHUQLW\, a company of amateur actors, the exclusive right (a monopoly) to produce holy drama in Paris. :KREXLOWWKHILUVWSURVFHQLXPWKHDWUHLQ3DULV" Cardinal Richelieu built the 3DODLV&DUGLQD, Paris' first proscenium theatre, in 1641. After the Cardinal's death, the theatre was renamed 3DODLV5R\DO and became the home of Moliere's acting company. Go to... Italy | England | France Theatre Home Page E-mail questions and comments to Larry Wild at [email protected]. Last updated: November 18, 2003 © 1995-2003 by Larry Wild, Northern State University, Aberdeen, SD 57401 7KHDWUHIURPWR 5HVWRUDWLRQDQGWK&HQWXU\ 5HVRXUFHV 7H[W Wilson and Goldfarb. 7KHDWHU 7KH/LYHO\$UW, 4th edition: Chapter 13, pages 288 - 304. 3OD\V 5HVWRUDWLRQ William Congreve. 7KH:D\RIWKH:RUOG John Dryden. $OO)RU/RYH WK&HQWXU\ John Gay. 7KH%HJJDU V2SHUD Richard Sheridan. 6FKRROIRU6FDQGDO ,QWHUQHW Drottningholm Theatre 7KHDWUHIURPWR Restoration: 1660 to 1700 | 18th Century | 19th Century 5HVWRUDWLRQ WR :KHQZDVWKH(QJOLVK5HVWRUDWLRQ" From 1660 to 1700. 7RZKRPZDVWKH(QJOLVKFURZQUHVWRUHG" Charles II (reign :1660 to 1685 ) :KDWDUHWKHFKDUDFWHULVWLFVRID5HVWRUDWLRQ&RPHG\RI0DQQHUV" Restoration (and 18th century) comedy ridiculed human failings-- breaches of a "sophisticated code of manners" established by the courtiers of Charles II. They assumed (but never stated) an ideal mode of life which they expected the audience to accept. The ,GHDO*HQWOHPDQ was well born, dressed well, was poised and witty, skilled in love making, was able to conduct several affairs simultaneously, never boasted of his affairs, was always discreet, and never fell in love (or showed true compassion). If he was married, he could not be jealous if his wife took a lover. The )DVKLRQDEOH :KDWWLWOHGRPDQ\FRQVLGHUWKHEHVWH[DPSOHRIDQ(QJOLVK&RPHG\RI 0DQQHUV" William Congreve's (1670-1729) 7KH:D\RIWKH:RUOG (1700). Read the play snyopsis on page 293. :KDWW\SHRIGUDPDVGLG-RKQ'U\GHQZULWH" Dryden (1631-1700) is primarily remembered for his Neo-Classic tragedies. :KDWLVWKHWLWOHRIKLVPRVWLPSRUWDQWSOD\" $OO)RU/RYH, or $:RUOG:HOO/RVW (1677) 2QZKDWHDUOLHUZRUNLVLWEDVHG" William Shakespeare's $QWKRQ\DQG&OHRSDWUD. :KDWFKDQJHVGLGKHPDNH" He condensed the 15 years of dramatic time in Shakespeare's play into one 24 hour day. He compressed Shakespeare's large cast (30 men and 4 women) drama into a much smaller and more managable size (6 men and 4 women). Unlike Shakespeare who had scenes in Rome and Egypt, Dryden's play takes place in one location: in front of the temple of Isis in Alexandre, Egypt. He took Shakespeare's episodic tragedy, and turned it into a small cast climactic tragedy which observed the unity of time and place. +RZGLGWKHDFWRUPDQDJHUV\VWHPIXQFWLRQ" During the Elizabethan period, the acting company was a stock company. The control of the organization was vested in the "shareholders." A Restoration acting company was owned and controlled by one man: the manager. He usually was the leading actor of the company, and chose those plays which best exhibited his abilities. The remainder of the acting company was hired and did not share in the company's profit (or loss). :KRZDVWKHOHDGLQJ(QJOLVKDFWRUPDQDJHURIWKHWK&HQWXU\" David Garrick (1717-1779). In addition to being an actor with over ninety roles in his repertory and the manager and "patent holder" of Drury Lane (1747 to 1776), he was a playwright, director and designer. As a director he oversaw the entire production process. He expected his actors to be on time, to have their lines memorized, and to act during rehearsal. As a designer he introduced appropriate and historically accurate costumes to the English stage. :KHQZHUHZRPHQLQWURGXFHGRQWRWKH(QJOLVKVWDJH" During the Restoration. :KDWSUREOHPVGLGWKHDWUHPDQDJHUVHQFRXQWHUZKHQKLULQJDQDFWUHVV" Since acting was still socially unacceptable, it was often difficult recruiting women to perform on stage. There also were few women's roles in the plays (primarily the work of Shakespeare) that most managers staged. :KRZDV1HOO*Z\QQ" Nell Gwynn (1650-1687), one of the most popular comic actress of the Restoration, performed for only four years: 1665-1669. During her tenure on stage she became the mistress of King Charles II and bore him two illegitimate sons. She was retired from the stage, by order of the King, in 1669. :KDWZDVDOHJLWLPDWHWKHDWUH" They were the only legal theatres in London permitted to present full length (five act) dramas. These theatres were also known as 5R\DO 7KHDWUHV (because they were licensed by the King ) and 3DWHQW 7KHDWUHV (because the document which licensed them was called a patent). +RZPDQ\OHJLWLPDWHWKHDWUHVRSHUDWHGLQ/RQGRQGXULQJWKHWK FHQWXU\" Two. These were originally (in 1660) the two playhouses managed by William Davenant (1606-1668) and Thomas Killigrew (1612- 1683). After parliment passed the Licensing Act of 1737, the two legitimate houses were Covent Garden and Drury Lane. +RZORQJGLGWKH\UHWDLQWKLVPRQRSRO\" 183 years, from 1660 to 1843. :KDWZDVDPLQRUWKHDWUH" A minor theatre was a London playhouse which could QRW perform "regular" drama. :KDWW\SHRISOD\VZHUHWKH\SHUPLWWHGWRSUHVHQW" x Short plays (two or three act), x Operas, x Melodramas and x Illustrated lectures. :KDWGLGWKH5HVWRUDWLRQVWDJHORRNOLNH" The Restoration stage was a proscenium theatre with a deep forestage or apron. There was a proscenium opening which framed the scenery. Most of the action took place on the forestage. Entrances and exits were made through doors on the either side of the apron.The 650 seats (in 1700) were distributed between the pit, boxes, and galleries. The most expensive seats were in the private boxes (four shillings) which surrounded the first floor pit (two shillings, six pence). The cheapest seats were in the two galleries (one shilling, six pence and one shilling). See the illustration of Drury Lane on page 294. :KDWW\SHRIVFHQHU\ZDVXVHGRQDQ(QJOLVK5HVWRUDWLRQVWDJH" Restoration theatres used the wing - border - backdrop style of scenery. Because of the cost, scenic units painted for one show were usually incorporated into a theatre's stock set for use in other productions. WK&HQWXU\ :KDWW\SHRIFRPHGLHVGLG5LFKDUG6KHULGDQZULWH" Sheridan (1751-1816) is remembered for his sentimental comedies. Like Restoration comedy, they were also a comedy of manners, but they reaffirmed middle class morality. :KDWLVWKHWLWOHRIKLVPRVWLPSRUWDQWZRUN" 7KH6FKRROIRU6FDQGDO (1777) (plot summary) His other two major, often revived works are 7KH5LYDOV (1775) and 7KH&ULWLF (1779). :KLFKOHJLWLPDWHWKHDWUHGLGKHPDQDJH" In 1776 Sheridan became a stock holder in Drury Lane, one of the two patent houses. He became a member of Parliament (repesenting Stafford) in 1780 making him a politician as well as theatre manager and playwright. :KDWLVWKHWLWOHRI-RKQ*D\ V RQO\PDMRUZRUN" 7KH%HJJDU V2SHUD (1728). With 62 consecutive performances, many consider 7KH%HJJDU V2SHUD to be the theatre's first long run. +RZGRHVDEDOODGRSHUDGLIIHUIURPDQ,WDOLDQRSHUD" In a ballad opera, the music is adapted from popular folk songs and bar-room tunes. In an Italian opera, the music is specifically composed for the work. :KDWZDV/HZLV+DOODP VFRQQHFWLRQWRWKHGHYHORSPHQWRIWKH$PHULFDQ WKHDWUH" William Hallam attempted to open a third legitimate theatre in London in the 1750's. When his request to the king was denied, he sent his brother Lewis (1714-1756) and a company of twelve actors to the colonies where they established a theatre in Williamsburg, Pennsylvania in 1752. The company also performed in New York., Philadelphia and Charleston, South Carolina. Many theatre historians declare this to be the beginning of the commercial American theatre. :KDWZDVWKHPDMRUFKDQJHLQWKHDWUHDUFKLWHFWXUHGXULQJWKHWK FHQWXU\" Because the size of the theatre audience grew during the 18th century, the capacity of the auditoriums also grew. In 1700, Drury Lane could seat a maximum of 650, a hundred years later, after the addition of three new galleries, the seating capacity was 3600; a five fold increase. Not only did the capacity of the house increase, so did the size of the stage. The Drury Lane of the English Restoration had a stage that was only 34 feet deep: 17 feet from the foot lights to the proscenium arch and 17 feet from the arch to the back wall. (See the Ground Plan on page 295). In 1800 the stage house of Drury Lane was 85 feet wide and 92 feet deep. The proscenium opening was 43 feet wide by 38 feet high. :KDWLVWKHLPSRUWDQFHRIWKHFRXUWWKHDWUHDW'URWWQLQJKROP" This small court theatre was built in the middle of the 18th Century (1766) at the summer palace of the Swedish royal family. The space was closed in 1792, "rediscovered" in 1920 and reopened in 1922. It is today a working example of an eighteenth century Italianate proscenium theatre complete with 15 complete sets of scenery. See the photographs on page 300. Visit the Drottningholms Slottsteater Web page. Got to Nineteenth Century | Theatre Home Page E-mail questions and comments to Larry Wild at [email protected]. Last updated: April 17, 2003 © 1995-2003 by Larry Wild, Northern State University, Aberdeen, SD 57401 7KHDWUHIURPWR 1LQHWHHQWK&HQWXU\ 5HVRXUFHV 7H[W Wilson and Goldfarb. 7KHDWHU 7KH/LYHO\$UW, 4th edition: Chapter 13, pages 305 - 315. 3OD\V George Aiken / Harriet Beacher Stowe. 8QFOH7RP V&DELQ Charles Fechter / Alexandre Dumas, père. 7KH&RXQWRI0RQWH&ULVWR Alexandre Dumas, fils. 7KH/DG\RIWKH&DPHOOLDV Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe. )DXVW Edmond Rostand. &\UDQR'H%HUJHUDF 'HILQHURPDQWLFGUDPD Romantic drama is the theatre of the "long ago and far away." The audiences of the early 19th century wanted to escape the dull, petty frustrations of their lives. :KDWDUHWKHFKDUDFWHULVWLFVRIDURPDQWLFKHUR" The romantic hero makes no comprises, appeases no one. To him every issue is clear, and if he goes down in defeat, he goes down fighting knowing that his cause is just. :KDWLVWKHGLIIHUHQFHEHWZHHQWKHNQLJKWFKDPSLRQDQGWKHNQLJKWORYHU" The NQLJKWFKDPSLRQ was loyal to his lord, dedicated his life to the protection of the weak, rescued the innocent maiden, and fought the endless battle against the forces of evil. The NQLJKWORYHU placed women on a pedestal, and worshipped them form afar. After a brief glimpse of her beauty, he was transformed forever. He would write poems to her beauty, and sing of his undying devotion, but he could not touch her. It was better to yearn for the ideal, than to desecrate it by turning it into reality. :K\GLG(QJODQGQRWSURGXFHDQ\PDMRU WKFHQWXU\URPDQWLFGUDPDWLVWV" Because the actor-managers rediscovered the works of Shakespeare. His plays posses many of the elements of romantic drama--A broad sweep of action, many short scenes, and a dedication to love and adventure. :KLFKSOD\ZULJKW VZRUNZDVSHUIRUPHGLQ(QJODQGGXULQJWKLVSHULRG" William Shakespeare. :KLFKRI9LFWRU+XJR VGUDPDVZDVLQIOXHQWLDOLQJHWWLQJURPDQWLFGUDPD DFFHSWHGLQ3DULV FRQVHUYDWLYHVWDWHWKHDWUHV" Although Hugo (1802-1885) is today primarily remembered for two novels: /HV0LVpUDEOHV (1862) and 7KH+XQFKEDFNRI1RWUH'DPH (1831), his romantic tragedy: +HUQDQL (1830) helped shatter the neoclassical rules which had restrained French drama since the Renaissance. :KDWKDSSHQHGGXULQJLWVLQLWLDOSHUIRUPDQFHV" The audience, composed of supporters of both the neoclassic and romantic movements, "rioted" through fifty-five performances. :KDWLVWKHUHODWLRQVKLSEHWZHHQ WKFHQWXU\RSHUDDQGURPDQWLFGUDPD" Like many 19th century operas which were based on 19th century dramas, Victor Hugo's +HUQDQL is the source of Giuseppe Verdi's (UQDQL (1844). :KLFKIRUPWKHGUDPDRURSHUDKDVKHOGWKHVWDJHEHVW" The opera. There are few, if any, productions of the original dramas, but the operas have become part of the standard repertory. Puccini's 7RVFD (the opera) is based on a play written for Sarah Bernhardt, the great 19th century French actress. No one produces the play (also called 7RVFD), but Pucinni's opera is one of the war- horses of the operatic repertory. :KRZURWH7KH&RXQWRI0RQWH&ULVWR" Alexandre Dumas', père (1802-1870) first major success was as a playwright. His +HQUL,,, was successfully produced in Paris in 1829. He soon shifted from writing romantic drama to writing romantic novels. His major works include 7KH7KUHH0XVNHWHHUV (1844) and 7KH&RXQWRI0RQWH&ULVWR (1845). :K\ZDVKLVVWDJHDGDSWLRQRI0RQWH&ULVWRQRWDWKHDWULFDOVXFFHVV" His 1848 adaption of the 71 chapter novel required a cast of a 100, was written in 20 acts, and took two days to perform. Thirty five years later, Charles Fechter, a 19th century actor / manager, developed a more workable (9 scenes, 5 acts + Prologue, cast of 24) adaption. This version, starring James O'Neill, was first presented on the massive stage of New York's Booth Theatre in February 1883. :KRSHUIRUPHGLWLQWKH8QLWHG6WDWHVGXULQJWKHODWH WKFHQWXU\" James O'Neill (1847-1920), an acknowledged Shakespearean actor, played the title role of Edmond Dantes, the "Count of Monte Cristo", at least 6000 times over a 30 year period. His performance was recorded on film by Edwin Porter in 1913. :KDWZDVKLVUHODWLRQVKLSWR(XJHQH2 1HLOO " He is Eugene's father. :KDWW\SHRISOD\VGLG$OH[DQGUH'XPDVILOV ZULWH" He wrote what he believed were realistic dramas. But most modern directors see his plays as being very romantic. :KDWZDVKLVUHODWLRQVKLSWR$OH[DQGUH'XPDVSqUH" He was his son. :KDWLVWKHWLWOHRIKLV $'XPDVILOV PRVWRIWHQUHYLYHGZRUN" /D'DPHDX[FDPpOLDV , known as &DPLOOH in the English speaking world, began life in 1848 as a novel. Four years later, in 1852, Dumas, fils adapted his work for the French stage. In 1853 it becomes the source of Giuseppe Verdi's /D7UDYLDWD. :K\LVLWQRZFRQVLGHUHGDURPDQWLFDQGQRWUHDOLVWLFGUDPD" What was "here and now" in 1852 becomes "long ago and far away" in 2002. :KDWLVWKHWLWOHRI(GPXQG5RVWDQG VPRVWLPSRUWDQWZRUN" Edmund Rostand (1868-1918) is best remembered for &\UDQRGH %HUJHUDF (1897), the story of a 17th century (1619-1655) French nobleman (with a very large nose) and his love for his cousin Roxanne. :KDWSRVLWLRQGRHVLWKROGLQGUDPDWLFOLWHUDWXUH" It is probably the best example of a 19th century romantic drama. :KDWSRVLWLRQGRHV-RKDQQ:ROIJDQJYRQ*RHWKHKROGLQ*HUPDQ OLWHUDWXUH" Goethe (1749-1832) is Germany's greatest literary figure. He is to German literature what Shakespeare is to English drama, and Moliere is to French comedy. :KDWLVKLVPRVWLPSRUWDQWSOD\" )DXVW (Part I: 1808, Part II: 1831): the story of a man who sells his soul to the devil. :KDW*HUPDQWKHDWUHGLGKHPDQDJH" He was the manager of the state theatre at Weimar. He required his actors to attend rehearsals. He permitted only two responses from his audiences. If they liked the show they could applaud. If they did not like the show they could remain silent. :KDWDUHWKHFKDUDFWHULVWLFVRIDPHORGUDPD" Melodrama contained a spotless hero who was usually falsely accused (but cleared by the last act) and an evil black hearted villain (who was often a banker or lawyer). Background music underscored sentimental speeches and the action sequences, just like in a film. The greatest excitement was the chase. +RZODUJHDQDXGLHQFHGLGWKH WKFHQWXU\PHORGUDPDVDWWUDFW" Melodrama developed the largest popular audience in American theatre history. :KDWZDVWKHWLWOHRI$PHULFD VPRVWVXFFHVVIXO WKFHQWXU\PHORGUDPD" 8QFOH7RP V&DELQ. It was based on Harriet Beacher Stowe's novel of the same name. The play, adapted by George Aiken, was written in six acts, included 30 scenes, and was performed by a cast of 25. There were American productions of 8QFOH7RP V&DELQ into the 1930's. :KDWZDVWKHLPSRUWDQFHRIWKHVKRZERDWWRWKHZHVWZDUGPRYHPHQWRI WKH$PHULFDQWKHDWUH" In the early part of the 19th century, most major American cities were built along a river (usually the Mississippi or Ohio) or a canal. Mounting a theatre on a flat boat, and taking the show to the major cities along the river was an efficient way to tour, and no "western" community was large enough to support a resident theatre company. William Chapman's two hundred seat )ORDWLQJ7KHDWUH is considered America's first showboat. Starting in 1831, it traveled the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers from Pittsburgh to New Orleans. By thy 1850s there were dozens of showboats plyings the water ways of the midwest. They continued to operate into the middle of the 20th century. The American showboat was immortalized first in the novel by Edna Ferber (6KRZ%RDW, 1926), and later in the Jerome Kern - Oscar Hammerstein II operetta: 6KRZ%RDW, (1928). :KDWW\SHVRISOD\VGLGWKH\SUHVHQW" Melodramas :KDW)UHQFKSOD\ZULJKWVDUHUHPHPEHUHGIRUGHYHORSLQJWKHWLJKWO\ ZURXJKWGUDPDNQRZQDVWKHZHOOPDGHSOD\" Eugene Scribe (1791-1861) and Victorien Sardou (1831-1908). Scribe has been credited with 300 scripts, mostly comedies. Sardou is the author of 7RVFD (1887) a romantic tragedy written for Sarah Bernhardt (1844-1923) the leading French actress of her day. It was adapted into an opera by Giacomo Puccini (1858-1924). :KDWHIIHFWGLGWKLVIRUPXODKDYHRQODWHUSOD\ZULJKWV" Elements of the ZHOOPDGHSOD\ formula were used by the early realistic playwrights, especially Henrik Ibsen. :KDWDUHWKHFKDUDFWHULVWLFVRIDZHOOPDGHSOD\" 1. Extensive exposition and careful preparation (fore shadowing) early in the play, 2. A tightly knit cause-and-effect arrangement of plot incidents, 3. Each scene builds to a strong climax (or crisis), 4. A secret known to the audience, but not to the play's characters, 5. A "show down" or confrontational scene between the play's two major characters near the climax, and 6. A careful resolution of the action so there are no loose ends. :KDWZDVWKHVWDUV\VWHP":KDWZDVLWVUHODWLRQVKLSWRWKHDFWRUPDQDJHU V\VWHPRISURGXFWLRQ" In the star system, the production is built around the lead actor, the "star". He owned the company. His wife was usually the leading lady, and his son and daughter would often play the "romantic" leads. Plays were selected to show off the star's talents. The supporting cast was there to assist the star. The star-system was an outgrowth of the actor-manager system which dates back to the English Restoration. +RZGRHVLWGLIIHUIURPWKHHQVHPEOHDSSURDFKWRDFWLQJ" In the ensemble approach, there are no stars. There are leading roles, simply because that's the way plays are written. But the actor who played the lead in one production, would have a supporting role in the next show. In the star system, the star played all of the leads, all the time. :KDWZHUHVRPHRIWKHDFWLQJWHFKQLTXHVXVHGE\WKHVWDUVZKLFKPDGHLW GLIILFXOWIRUWKHPWRSHUIRUPVXEWOHUHDOLVWLFGUDPD" It was a sin for the star to rehearse. He stood at the front edge of the stage and spoke directly to the audience. The audience would often applaud at the end of a scene. If there was enough applause, the star might do an encore. :K\GLG WKFHQWXU\DFWRUVSHUIRUPDWWKHIURQWHGJHRIWKHVWDJH" If an actor moved too far up stage (away from the primary light source: footlights), he would be in the dark. :KRZDV(GZLQ%RRWK" (GZLQ%RRWK (1833-1893) was America's leading 19th century Shakespearean actor. He used a subtle, psychological approach. He brought Shakespeare to the American stage, using for the first time, a full accurate script. In 1863, during the height of the Civil War, he performed +DPOHW for one hundred consecutive nights, setting a record that would stand until 1923. He briefly retired from the stage after his brother, John Wilkes, assassinated Abraham Lincoln at Ford's Theatre. 6LU+HQU\,UYLQJ" Before arriving in London in 1866, +HQU\,UYLQJ (1838-1905) had performed in Sunderland (1856), Edinburgh (1857-1860), Manchester (1860-1865) and Liverpool (1865). With performances of +DPOHW (1874), 0DFEHWK (1875) and 2WKHOOR (1876) he gained a reputation as England's greatest actor. In 1878, after forming a partnership with actress Ellen Terry, he became actor-manager of London's Lyceum Theatre where they successfully revived Goethe's )DXVW and Shakespeare's +DPOHW. In 1895 he became the first actor in British history to be Knighted. 6DUDK%HUQKDUGW" 6DUDK%HUQKDUGW (1844-1923), "The Divine Sarah" debuted on the stage of the &RPpGLH)UDQoDLVH in 1862. After a successful 14 year career in France she arrived in London (1876) where she quickly established herself as the leading actress of the day. Her first (of nine) American tours was four years later in 1880. (Her last American visit was in 1918). In 1899 she founded, in Paris, the 7KHDWUH6DUDK%HUQKDUGW. The same year, at the age of 55, she played the title role in Shakespeare's +DPOHW in Paris, London and New York. In 1900 she took her talent before the camera making eleven films including both Alexandre Dumas' fils /D'DPHDX[ &DPpOLDV(1910 and 1912) and /D7RVFD (1909). Even though her left leg was amputated at the age of 71 (1915), she continued to perform, playing parts she could act while seated, until her death in 1923. During her 62-year career, she played some 70 roles, all in French, in more than 125 productions. She is probably the first truly international star. :KRZHUHWKHWZRPHQZKREURXJKWDERXWWKHFKDQJHIURPWKHVWDUV V\VWHPWRWKHHQVHPEOHV\VWHP" Richard Wagner (1813-1883) and Georg II, the Duke of Saxe- Meiningen (1826-1914). :KRZDV5LFKDUG:DJQHU" Wagner was one of Germany's most influential 19th century opera composers and theatrical producers. He believed that drama should be "dipped in the magic fountain of music" to combine the greatness of Shakespeare with that of Beethoven. :KDWZDVKLVWKHRU\FRQFHUQLQJWKHLPSRUWDQFHRIWKHGLUHFWRU" He believed all elements of a production should come under the control of one man, the all powerful director who would synthesize the theatrical elements into a *HVDPWNXQVWZHUN, or "a master art work." :KDW*HUPDQPDQDJHUVKRZHGWKHZRUOGWKDWLWZDVSRVVLEOHWRSURGXFH URPDQWLFGUDPDLQDUHDOLVWLFVW\OH" Georg II, the Duke of Saxe-Meiningen (1826-1914), operated a small, professional court theatre. He used the ensemble system of production. He believed in a long (six to eight months) rehearsal period. His sets and costumes were historically accurate. He used a realistic style of production, but the plays he presented were romantic. He toured his company for 16 years (1874 to 1890) and influenced production techniques in Paris and Moscow. :KDWZHUHKLVWZRPRVWRIWHQSHUIRUPHGSURGXFWLRQV" William Shakespeare's -XOLXV&DHVDU and Frederich Schiller's :LOOLDP7HOO. :KDWLVDVWRFNVHW" A collection of "generic" sets which the theatre manager would use for all of his company's productions :KDWZHUHVRPHRIWKHVFHQLFGHVLJQVWKHDWUHPDQDJHUVVWRFNHG" A small local theatre would own at least four basic designs, a... 1. Kitchen set, 2. Parlor set, 3. Woodland scene, and 4. City street scene. The manager would decide which of these four designs would best fit the settings required for each play he presented. :K\GLG WKFHQWXU\GLUHFWRUVREMHFWWRWKHLUXVH" Directors, like Georg II, the Duke of Saxe-Meiningen, believed that a new, and different, set (or sets) should be designed for each production. :KDWLVDER[VHW" An interior set which uses flats (wood frames covered with canvas) to create the back and side walls, and often ceiling, of a "realistic" room. +RZGRHVLWGLIIHUIURPDZLQJERUGHUEDFNGURSVHW" The side "walls" in a wing-border-backdrop set are placed parallel to the front edge of the stage. In a box set, these "side walls" are turned so they run diagonal from up stage to down stage. :KDWFKDQJHVGLGWKHER[VHWIRUFHRQWKHGHVLJQRIWKHVWDJHIORRU" With the development of the more realistic box set, the raked stage floor was replaced with a flat stage floor. Stage hands discovered it was difficult to handle the side walls of a box set on a slanted floor. :KDWLVWKHIRXUWKZDOOFRQFHSW" According to French philosopher Denis Diderot (1713-1784) the scenic artist should create a "real" room (four walls) then remove one of these walls so the audience can watch the action of play unfold on stage. +RZGLGLWHIIHFWWKHDFWRUV" In a realistic production, the focus of the action should remain with in the confines of the "room". As for as the actor is concerned, there is no audience, only the other characters in the "room." :KHQGLGJDVODPSVUHSODFHFDQGOHVDQGRLOODPSVDVWKHSULPDU\VRXUFHRI OLJKWLQWKHWKHDWUH" In the first third of the 19th century. Philadelphia's Chestnut Street Theatre was outfitted with gas light in 1816. :KDWZDVWKHJDVWDEOH" A collection of valves used by the gasman to control the intensity of light. For the first time it became practical to dim the house lights forcing the audience to focus their attention on the stage. :KDWZDVDOLPHOLJKW" The 19th century spotlight which created the brilliant pool of light that followed the "star." This light was produced by heating a block of calcium carbonate (lime) to incandescence with a oxyo-hydrogen torch. +RZZDVLWXVHG" It was used both as a follow spot and the source of theatrical beams of sun and moon light. :KHQGLGWKHHOHFWULFOLJKWUHSODFHWKHJDVODPSDVWKHPDMRUVRXUFHRI WKHDWULFDOOLJKW" In the 1880's. London's Savoy Theatre, the home of Gilbert and Sullivan's operetta's, was, in 1881, the first theatre to be totally lit by electricity. Theatre Home Page E-mail questions and comments to Larry Wild at [email protected]. Last updated: December 2, 2003 Copyright © 1995-2003 by Larry Wild, Northern State University, Aberdeen, SD 57401 0RGHUQ7KHDWUH WR 5HVRXUFHV 7H[W Wilson and Goldfarb. 7KHDWHU 7KH/LYHO\$UW, 4th edition: Chapter 14, pages 317 - 338. 3OD\V, with links to brief plot outlines... Bertolt Brecht. 7KH&DXFDVLDQ&KDON&LUFOH Anton Chekhov. 7KH&KHUU\2UFKDUG, Federal Theatre Project. 2QH7KLUGRID1DWLRQ Henrik Ibsen. +HGGD*DEOHU, *KRVWV, $'ROO V+RXVH Eugene O'Neill. /RQJ'D\ V-RXUQH\,QWR1LJKW, 7KH*UHDW*RG%URZQ 7KH,QWHUQHW Federal Theatre Project Collection at the Library of Congress :KRLVWKHIDWKHURIUHDOLVWLFGUDPD" +HQULN,EVHQ (1828-1906). In 1851 he was appointed the resident playwright and stage manager of the Norwegian National Theatre in Bergen. Six years later he moved to the Norwegian Theatre in Christiania (now Oslo). He left his homeland in 1864 only to return for brief visits. His early works, such as 3HHU*\QW (1866) were romantic verse dramas drawn from the Scandinavian past. In the 1870s he abandoned verse drama for realism. The plays written during the last decade of the century, 7KH0DVWHU%XLOGHU (1892) and :KHQ:H'HDG$ZDNHQ (1899) show the influence of the symbolist movement. :KDWLVWKHGLIIHUHQFHEHWZHHQ,EVHQ VVRFLDOSOD\VDQGKLVFKDUDFWHU GUDPDV" His VRFLDOSOD\V, or thesis plays, explore the interaction of people with society. These works deal with such social problems as an unhappy marriage, the sexual double standard, and the position of women. His FKDUDFWHUGUDPDV explore the psychological, moral, and ethical conflicts within the confines of the dramatic character. *LYHWKHWLWOHRIRQHSOD\IURPHDFKJURXS Social plays-- 3LOODUVRI6RFLHW\ (1877), 7KH'ROO V+RXVH (1879), *KRVWV (1881) and $Q(QHP\RIWKH3HRSOH (1882). See the Play Synopsis of 7KH'ROOV+RXVH on page 322. Character dramas-- 7KH:LOG'XFN (1884), and +HGGD*DEOHU (1890). :KLFKJURXSRISOD\VKDVVWRRGWKHWHVWRIWLPHDQGDUHVWLOOSUHVHQWHG WRGD\" The character dramas. Most consider +HGGD*DEOHU his most important and often revived drama . Audiences were often disturbed by Ibsen's "unhealthful and injurious" plays. Critics had a word for his work -- it was ,EVFHQH. When$'ROO V+RXVH was first presented, an audience sat perfectly still after the final curtain. They were waiting for the last act when Nora would return repentant to her husband. The stage manager had to appear and tell them that was all, they could go home. It was a dumfounding jolt that set wifes practicing door slams and made husbands irritable and nervous. (Philip Lewis, 7URXSLQJ+RZWKH6KRZ&DPHWR 7RZQ, 1973. pg. 194.) :KRZDVWKH5XVVLDQSOD\ZULJKWZKRVHSOD\VZHUHILUVWSURGXFHGE\WKH 0RVFRZ$UW7KHDWUH" $QWRQ&KHNKRY (1860-1904). The Moscow Art Theatre's first production was Anton Chekhov's first script: 7KH6HD*XOO (1896) +RZPDQ\IXOOOHQJWKGUDPDVGLGKHZULWH" )RXU. In addition to 7KH6HD*XOO, he also wrote 8QFOH9DQ\D (1899), 7KH7KUHH6LVWHUV (1901) and 7KH&KHUU\2UFKDUG (1904). /LVWWKHWLWOHRIKLVPRVWLPSRUWDQWZRUN 7KH&KHUU\2UFKDUG. See the Play Synopsis on page 49. :KDW*HUPDQPDQDJHULQVSLUHGGLUHFWRUVLQERWK3DULVDQG0RVFRZ" Georg II, Duke of Saxe Meiningen. :KRZDVWKH)UHQFKGLUHFWRUZKRVKRZHGWKHZRUOGKRZWRSURGXFHUHDOLVWLF GUDPDUHDOLVWLFDOO\" Andre Antoine (1858-1943) :KDWZDVWKH7KHDWUH/LEUH" An amateur, or "community" theatre, organized by Antoine to produce the plays other theatre managers considered unproducable. :KDWW\SHRISOD\VGLGWKH\SURGXFH" One act realistic dramas. :K\ZDVLWQHFHVVDU\IRUWKHOLWWOHRUDUWWKHDWUHVWREHSULYDWHFOXEV" In much of Europe, including Paris, public performances of realistic dramas were banned because they were considered obscene. But private performances, restricted to members of the organization, were permitted. Little theatres, patterned after Antoine's 7KHDWUH /LEUH opened in London (Independent Theatre), Berlin (Freie Buhne), Moscow (Moscow Art Theatre) and New York (Washington Square Players). London's Independent Theatre (1891-1897) introduced the work of George Bernad Shaw (1856-1950) and Eugene O'Neill's (1888-1953) dramas were first presented by the Provincetown Players (1915-1929) in Provincetown, Massachusetts, and the Washington Square Players (1915-1918) in New York City. In 1919 the Washington Square Players becomes the Theatre Guild. Six years later, 1925, they move into their own playhouse: the Guild Theatre. The Guild's most successful production, certainly its most famous, was Rodger's and Hammerstein's first musical: 2NODKRPD (1943). Their last show, as listed in the Internet Broadway Database, was 6WDWH)DLU, another R&H musical, in 1996. :KRZDV&RQVWDQWLQ6WDQLVODYVNL V" Stanislavski (1863-1938) was both an actor and a director. In 1897 he and Vladimir Danchenko (1859-1943) outlined the organization of a professional acting company which would present realistic drama. :KDWZDVWKHQDPHRIWKLVFRPSDQ\" The Moscow Art Theatre. Organized in 1897, the MAT made their first American visit, presenting three Chekhov's plays in Russian, in 1923. They are still an active production company. In 1931, the Group Theatre, a non-commercial New York production company dedicated to producing socially relevant dramas, introduced the Stanislavskian acting approach to the American theatre. Although the company disbanded in 1941, its influence, primarily through the work of Lee Strasberg (The Actor's Studio) and Eli Kazan (the original director of both 'HDWKRID6DOHVPDQ and 6WUHHWFDU1DPHG 'HVLUH) continued to be felt for the next two decades. :KHQZDVWKH)HGHUDO7KHDWUHFUHDWHG" 1935 :KDWZDVLWVSXUSRVH" To provide work for the unemployed. It was part of the WPA (Works Progress Administration) created by President Roosevelt to help bring an end to the Great Depression. The Federal Theatre Project was our first, and last, attempt to create a "national theatre." For a closer look, link to the Federal Theatre Project Collection at the Library of Congress. :KDWW\SHRISOD\VGLGLWSUHVHQW" A little of everything: Greek tragedy, Elizabethan comedy, childern's theatre, ballet, opera, circus... +RZPDQ\VWDWHVKRVWHGD)HGHUDO7KHDWUH3URMHFW" There were Federal Theatres in 32 of the 48 states. There were no Federal Theatres in either of the Dakotas, but there were Projects in Minnesota and Nebreska. Many locations had more than one producing unit. There were 31 units in New York City, 14 in Chicago, and three in Omaha. :KDWZDVWKH/LYLQJ1HZVSDSHU" They were dramatizations of a problem using news events pulled from the front pages of the newspaper, a kind of "dramatic journalism." Many were propaganda pieces which supported other aspects of President Roosevelt's New Deal. For example, $$$ 3ORZHG8QGHU(1936) dealt with agricultural reform, 3RZHU (1937) dealt with rural electrification and 2QH7KLUGRID1DWLRQ (1938) dealt with public housing. Dr. Hallie Flanagan, the national director of the Federal Theatre, said the /LYLQJ1HZVSDSHU sought to make [theatre] out of everyday factual material . . . to dramatize a new struggle -- -the search of the average American today for knowledge about his world; to dramatize his struggle to turn the great natural and economic and social forces of our time toward a better life for more people. +RZGLGLWGLIIHUIURPFRQYHQWLRQDOGUDPD" The plays were often plotless and episodic. The two major characters were the narrator, the 9RLFHRIWKH/LYLQJ1HZVSDSHU(or simply: Loudspeaker) who guided the audience through the background material, pointed out the human consequences of the problem, and suggested possible solutions; and 7KH/LWWOH0DQ an average person who questioned and addressed the issues presented in the play. :KLFK$PHULFDQGLUHFWRUEHJDQKLVFDUHHUZLWKD1HZ Orson Welles (1915-1985). He left the Federal Theatre Project 891 in 1938 to create the Mercury Theatre which produced the modern dress -XOLXV&DHVDU (1938), and :DURIWKH:RUOGV (1938), the radio play which scared a nation. :KLFKSURGXFWLRQZDVORFNHGRXWRIWKHLUWKHDWUHRQRSHQLQJQLJKW" 7KH&UDGOH:LOO5RFN (1937) a pro-labor anti-business opera directed by Orson Welles. :KDWZDVWKHFRPSDQ\ VUHVSRQVH" When they discovered the theatre padlocked the morning of their opening night, they searched for, and found, an empty theatre. When the audience gathered that night at the locked theatre, the actors led them to the new house where the actors performed the opera, not on the stage, but in the auditorium. :K\ZDVWKH)HGHUDO7KHDWUHFORVHGRQ-XQH " Many objected to the political content of the plays, especially those presented by the /LYLQJ1HZVSDSHU unit. The Federal Theatre was accused (by the newly formed House Un-American Activity Committee) of presenting "putrid plays" that were "spewed from the gutters of the Kremlin and . . . directed by Communists." Congress voted down the appropriation bill which would have funded this WPA project for an additional four years. :KRZDVWKHILUVW$PHULFDQSOD\ZULJKWWRUHFHLYHLQWHUQDWLRQDO UHFRJQLWLRQ" Eugene O'Neill (1888-1953) was a son of James O'Neil, the popular 19th century American actor. He spent his childhood in cheap hotels and on late night trains accompanying his father on the tour circuit. He attended a series of boarding schools and was expelled from Princeton University in 1906. He prospected for gold in Honduras, was an actor and assistant stage manager in his father's company, sailed to South America and Africa as a seamen and was a reporter in New London, Connecticut. He contracted tuberculosis at the age of 24 and wrote his first plays while recovering in a sanatorium, In 1916, "Bound East for Cardiff," a one-act play, was produced by the Provincetown Players (a "little theatre") at the Warf Theatre in Provincetown, Massachusetts. :KDWW\SHRIGUDPDVGLGKHZULWH" A little of everything. Realism: /RQJ'D\ V-RXUQH\,QWR1LJKW (written in 1940, but not produced until 1957), Classical tragedy: 0RXUQLQJ%HFRPHV(OHFWUD (1931), Expressionism: (PSHURU-RQHV (1920) and 7KH+DLU\$SH (1922). :KDWLVKLVRQO\FRPHG\" $K:LOGHUQHVV (1933), in which a young man discovers girls and booze on the 4th of July. :KLFKRIKLVSOD\VLVDXWRELRJUDSKLFDO" /RQJ'D\ V-RXUQH\,QWR1LJKW. Written in 1940, but not produced until four years after his death, in 1957. Many consider it his greatest drama. +RZPDQ\3XOLW]HUSUL]HVGLGKHZLQ" Four. %H\RQG7KH+RUL]RQ (1920), $QQD&KULVWLH (1922), 6WUDQJH ,QWHUOXGH (1928), and /RQJ'D\ V-RXUQH\,QWR1LJKW (1940, 1957). He also won the 1936 Nobel Price for Literature. :KDWDUHWKHWZRPDMRUFULWLFLVPVRIKLVZRUN" His plays are long ( /RQJ'D\ V-RXUQH\,QWR1LJKW and 6WUDQJH ,QWHUOXGH run over four hours, 0RXUQLQJ%HFRPHV(OHFWUD is close to five) and depressing. :KDWLVWKHEDVLFWHQDQWRIWKHV\PEROLVWPRYHPHQW" "Truth" is not an external reality, it can not be expressed directly, but only through symbols. These symbols evoke "feeling's" in the audience. :KHQDQGZKHUHGLGLWGHYHORS" France, 1880 to 1900 :KRZHUHWKHWZRPRVWLQIOXHQWLDOV\PEROLVWGHVLJQHUV" Adolph Appia (1862-1928) and Edward Gordon Craig (1872-1966) :KHUHGLGHDFKOLYH" Appia was Swiss, Craig was English :KDWZDVWKHLUEDVLFWKHRU\RIVFHQLFGHVLJQ" They believed that a stage presentation involved three conflicting visual elements-- a (1) three dimensional actor, with (2) a flat stage floor under and (3) acres of flapping canvas behind him. They believed that the scenery should be three dimensional (like the actor), and should not be literal, but evoke the feeling of place. See the photograph of Appia's design for ,SKLJHQLDLQ$XOLV on page 333. :KLFKRIWKHWZRGHVLJQHUVGHYHORSHGWKH WKHRU\RIPRGHUQOLJKWLQJGHVLJQ" Adolph Appia. His theory of 6FHQH (*&UDLJ lighting, which was not practical when it was originally proclaimed, stemmed from his interest in the staging of Wagnerian opera. He published his ideas in /D0LVH HQVFHQHGXGUDPH:DJQHULHQ 7KH 6WDJLQJRI:DJQHULDQ0XVLF 'UDPD (1895) and 'LH0XVLNXQG GLH,QVFHQLHUXQJ 0XVLFDQG 6WDJLQJ (1899). :KHUHDQGZKHQGLGWKHH[SUHVVLRQLVWPRYHPHQWGHYHORS" Germany. 1910 to 1925 :KDWZDVLWVEDVLFSKLORVRSK\" Although man was capable of doing "great things", he was being controlled and dominated by machines. :K\GRHVLWIXQFWLRQEHWWHULQILOPVDQGWHOHYLVLRQWKDQLWGRHVRQVWDJH" In an expressionistic production, the audience sees the presentation through the eyes of one of the characters. In film and TV, the director has greater control over what the audience sees than he has in the live theatre. In films, the audience sees only what the director tells the camera to look at. :KDWZDVWKHPRVWLQIOXHQWLDOH[SUHVVLRQLVWSUHVHQWDWLRQ" 'DV.DELQHWWGHV'RNWRU&DOLJDUL 7KH%R[RI'RFWRU&DOLJDUL), a 1920 German film about an evil "magician" and the hypnotic victims who carry out his evil plan. /LVWWKHWLWOHDQGDXWKRURIDWOHDVWRQHSOD\ZKLFKFRXOGEHFRQVLGHUHGDQ H[SUHVVLRQLVWLFGUDPD 585 (1920) by Czechoslovakian playwright Karel Capek (1890- 1938). 7KH(PSHURU-RQHV (1920), 7KH+DLU\$SH (1922), and 7KH*UHDW *RG%URZQ (1925) by Eugene O'Neill (1888-1953). :KRLVWKH*HUPDQSOD\ZULJKWZKRGHYHORSHGWKHWKHRU\RIHSLFGUDPD" :KHQGLGKHOLYH" Bertolt Brecht (1898 to 1956). Brecht entered the theatre as a director in Munich. As a playwright he experimented with dadaism and expressionism before arriving at his more characteristic "epic" style. His first major success was 7KH7KUHH3HQQ\2SHUD (1928) which ran for over 400 performances. :KDWDUHWKHEDVLFFKDUDFWHULVWLFVRIDQHSLFSOD\" (1) There should be a broad sweep of action (Episodic structure), (2) a mixture of dramatic and narrative techniques, (3) they should assign the spectator an active role in the performance, (4) the audience should apply what they see in the theatre to life, (5) the mechanics of the theatre should be shown, (6) and the actors should see the role in the "third person", and not "become the character." He believed that the events on stage should be made "sufficiently strange" that the audience would question what they saw. This concept, YHUIUHPGXQJVHIIHNW in German, is generally translated as "alienation" in English. :K\ZHUHPRVWRIKLVSOD\VQRWZULWWHQLQ*HUPDQ\" Although he was born in Germany, he left in 1933 after Adolph Hitler came to power. Most of his epic scripts were written in the United States. :K\ZDVKHQRWSHUPLWWHGWRUHWXUQWRWKH$PHULFDQ]RQHRI*HUPDQ\ DIWHU:RUOG:DU7ZR" Although he was not a member of the party, he was a communist sympathizer. :KDWLVFRQVLGHUHGKLVJUHDWHVWHSLFGUDPD" 0RWKHU&RXUDJHDQGKHU&KLOGUHQ (37). See the Play Synopsis on page 162. Theatre Home Page E-mail questions and comments to Larry Wild at [email protected]. Last updated: December 27, 2003 Copyright © 1995-2003 by Larry Wild, Northern State University, Aberdeen, SD 57401 0RGHUQ7KHDWUH WR 7KH'UDPD 5HVRXUFHV 7H[W Wilson and Goldfarb. 7KHDWHU 7KH/LYHO\$UW, 4th edition: Chapter 15, pages 341 - 366 . 3OD\V Edward Albee. $'HOLFDWH%DODQFH Samuel Beckett.:DLWLQJIRU*RGRW David Mamet. *HOQJDUU\*OHQ5RVV Arthur Miller. 'HDWKRID6DOHVPDQ Sam Shepard. %XULHG&KLOG Neil Simon. /RVW,Q GoTo... Modern Theatre: 1945 to 1990 The American Musical :KDWLV7KRUQWRQ:LOGHU V(1897-1975)PRVWVLJQLILFDQWGUDPD" 2XU7RZQ (1938). Three brief days in the lives of George and Emily. +RZGRHVLWGLIIHUIURPDWUDGLWLRQDOGUDPD" The play was written for, and was originally performed on a bare stage without scenery or props. The Stage Manager (a character in the play) acts as the audience's guide to Grover's Corner NH, and plays several smaller parts. Although it is George and Emily's story, the principle character in the play is the Stage Manager. A musical adaption of the work, staring Frank Sinatra as the Stage Manager and Paul Newman (in his only singing role) and Eva Marie Saint as George and Emily, was broadcast live in color by NBC's 3URGXFHU V 6KRZFDVH on September 15, 1955. One of the songs from that production has become a Sinatra standard: "Love and Marriage." The film version, starring a young William Holden, produced in 1940 had four cast members from the original Broadway production, but the film's style was realistic, and Hollywood gave the movie a happy ending. :KLFKWZRRIKLVSOD\VZRQWKH3XOLW]HUSUL]H" 2XU7RZQ and 7KH6NLQRI2XU7HHWK (1942), which shows the destruction of the world by ice, flood, and war. Wilder also won a Pulitzer prize for his 1928 novel: 7KH%ULGJHRI6DQ/XLV5H\. He is the only writer to win a Pulitzer prize for both drama and fiction. :KLFKFRPHG\ZDVDGDSWHGLQWRDORQJUXQQLQJ%URDGZD\PXVLFDO" 7KH0DWFKPDNHU (1954), in which Dolly Levi searches for a husband for Horace Vandegelder, is the source of +HOOR'ROO\ (1964). 7KH 0DWFKPDNHU is an adaption of Wilder's 7KH0HUFKDQWRI :KDWLV7HQQHVVHH:LOOLDPV PRVWLPSRUWDQWZRUN" $6WUHHWFDU1DPHG'HVLUH (1947). The tragic story of Blanche DuBois, who lives in a squalid New Orleans tenement with her sister Stella and brother-in-law Stanley Kowalski. The original production was directed by Elia Kazan (1909-2003) and designed by Jo Mielziner (1901-1976). Two years later the same team would stage Arthur Miller's 'HDWKRID6DOHVPDQ. +RZORQJGLGLWUXQ" 1 year, 8 months: 742 performances. :KRVWDUUHGLQWKHRULJLQDO%URDGZD\SURGXFWLRQ":KDWSDUWVGLGWKH\ SOD\" Jessica Tandy (%ODQFKH'X%RLV), Marlon Brando (6WDQOH\.RZDOVNL), and Kim Hunter (6WHOOD.RZDOVNL). This production was Brando's first major role. :KDWZDV:LOOLDPV ILUVWPDMRUVXFFHVV" 7KH*ODVV0HQDJHULH (1945). )RUZKLFKWZRGUDPDVGLGKHUHFHLYHD3XOLW]HUSUL]H" $6WUHHWFDU1DPHG'HVLUH (1947) and &DW2Q$+RW7LQ5RRI (1954). :KLFKRIKLVSOD\VLVDXWRELRJUDSKLFDO" 7KH*ODVV0HQDJHULH tells the story of Tom Winfield, a stock boy at a St. Louis shoe factory, who yearns to leave home and begin a career as a poet. Williams averaged a new dramatic work every two years. He has been credited with 25 full length plays, over 40 one act scripts, a dozen screen plays, and an opera libretto. :KDWZDV$UWKXU0LOOHU VILUVWPDMRUWKHDWULFDOVXFFHVV" Arthur Miller's (1915- ) first success was $OO0\6RQV (1947) -- the story of Joe Keller, who knowingly sent defective cylinder heads to the US Army Air Corps during World War II. Twenty combat fliers (perhaps including one of his two sons) were killed because of his actions. :KDWLVKLVPDVWHUSLHFH" 'HDWKRID6DOHVPDQ (1949) is considered one of America's most significant dramas. The original production was directed by Elia Kazan and designed by Jo Mielziner. See the play synopsis on page 345. :KRLVLWVPDMRUFKDUDFWHU" Willy Loman is the sixty-three year old traveling salesman who believes that back-slapping and perseverance are the keys to success in business and life. Lee J. Cobb created the role in the original New York production. +RZORQJGLGLWUXQLQ1HZ Nearly 2 years: 855 performances. )RUZKLFKSOD\GLGKHZLQD3XOLW]HUSUL]H" 'HDWKRID6DOHVPDQ. :KLFK0LOOHUGUDPDZDVZULWWHQDVDFRPPHQWRQWKHKHDULQJVKHOGE\WKH +RXVH8Q$PHULFDQ$FWLYLWLHV&RPPLWWHH +8$& LQWKHPLGILIWLHV" 7KH&UXFLEOH (1953). Miller compares the committee's hunt for communists in the entertainment industry with the Salem witchcraft trials of the 17th century. :KRZHUHWKH+ROO\ZRRG7HQ" One film director and nine screen writers who, in 1947, refused to "name names" before HUAC. :K\ZHUHWKH\KHOGLQFRQWHPSWRIFRQJUHVV" They pleaded the first amendment (freedom of speech), not the fifth, were held in contempt of Congress, and spent a year in a federal prison. After a second set of hearings in the early 50's, the committee developed a list of 324 employees of the entertainment industry who were, are had been, members of the communist party. All were blacklisted. A number of these screen writers continued to produce under pseudonyms, are their work simply went uncredited. Michael Wilson and Carl Foreman, the two uncredited blacklisted screen writers who adapted Pierre Boulle's The Bridge on the River Kwai, into the 1957 Oscar winning %HVW3LFWXUH did not receiver their Oscars for %HVW$GDSWHG6FUHHQSOD\ untill 1984. When the film was restored their names were added to the list of credits. For more information link to The HUAC and Censorship Changes and Blacklist: A different view of the 1947 HUAC hearings. :KDWZDVWKHSXUSRVHRI5HG&KDQQHOV" On June 22, 1950, 5HG&KDQQHOV published by &RXQWHUDWWDFN 7KH 1HZVOHWWHURI)DFWV7R&RPEDW&RPPXQLVP printed a list of 151 writers, directors and performers who had been members of "subversive" organisations before World War Two. This was the blacklist. Link to Red Channels: The Blacklist for images of the pages on Arthur Miller and Orson Welles. Both Elia Kazan, who directed the New York productions of $OO0\ 6RQV and 'HDWKRID6DOHVPDQ, and Arthur Miller were called before HUAC. Kazan named names; Miller did not. For more information on the Miller and Kazan controversy, link to "Kazan and Miller" by Richard Bernstein at the University of Pennsylvania. Woody Allan's 1976 film, 7KH)URQW, draws its inspiration from those blacklisted writers who could not write under their own name and were forced to use a "front." When writer-director Eli Kazan, who had named names, won the Oscar for /LIH7LPH$FKLHYHPHQW in 1999, approximately half of the audience refused to rise and give him a standing ovation. The fifty year old wounds which had split Hollywood have not yet healed. :KLFKRI0LOOHU VSOD\VLVDXWRELRJUDSKLFDO" $IWHUWKH)DOO (1964) is the story of a successful middle aged man, married to a famous movie star (Marilyn Monroe), who refused to "name names" before a government committee. :KRLVWRGD\$PHULFD VPRVWVXFFHVVIXOSOD\ZULJKW" Neil Simon (1927- ) has written, on average, one play (or musical) per season since 1961. Most of his plays have been filmed and are available on video tape. :KHUHGLGKHUHFHLYHKLVGUDPDWLFWUDLQLQJ" Writing for Sid Caesar's ( :KDWZDVKLVILUVW%URDGZD\SURGXFWLRQ" &RPH%ORZ :KLFKRIKLVZRUNVDUHDXWRELRJUDSKLFDO" &RPH%ORZ ,QZKLFK$PHULFDQFLW\ZHUHHLJKWRIKLVILUVWQLQHSOD\VVHW" New York City. Eight of Simon's first nine plays, starting with &RPH %ORZ 7KH6WDU6SDQJOHG*LUO (1966) :KHUHZDVLWORFDWHG" San Francisco :DVLWDVXFFHVV" No. The show ran for 261 performances (a little over seven months) at the Plymouth Theatre and has not had a Broadway revival. Simon has comented that the reason the show was not a success was because he was writing about a place and a people with whom he was not familiar. He returns to a New York setting with 3OD]D6XLWH (1968), a play which ran for over 2 1/2 years. :K\KDVKHZULWWHQWKHERRNIRURQO\IRXUPXVLFDOV" Because all the book writer does is lay the ground work for the songs. In a Broadway musical the high points are created by the composer and lyric writer. )RUZKLFKSOD\GLGKHZLQWKH3XOLW]HU3UL]HIRU'UDPD" /RVW,Q ,QZKDWWKHDWULFDOHQYLURQPHQWZDV6DP6KHSDUG VSOD\VILUVWSUHVHQWHG" Shepard (1943- ) got his beginning in the small experimental off-off- Broadway theatres in the 1960s. :KDWWLWOHZDVDZDUGHGWKH3XOLW]HU3UL]H" %XULHG&KLOG (1979), Shepard's deep probe into the disintegration of the American Dream. ,QZKDWRWKHUWKHDWULFDODUHDKDVKHHDUQHGSURIHVVLRQDOUHFRJQLWLRQ" Acting. He has appeared in over twenty films including 7KH5LJKW 6WXII (1983), )RROIRU/RYH (1985) which he also wrote, 6WHHO 0DJQROLDV (1989), 3HOLFDQ%ULHI (1993) and %ODFN+DZN'RZQ (2001) ,QZKLFK$PHULFDQFLW\ZHUH'DYLG0DPHW VSOD\VILUVWSURGXFHG" Chicago. David Mamet (1947- ) was born in Chicago, calls it his home, and has used this town as the setting for most of his plays. :KLFKRIKLVZRUNVZDVWKHILUVWWRDWWUDFWLPPHGLDWHDWWHQWLRQ" 6H[XDO3HUYHUVLW\LQ&KLFDJR (1974). The play reveals a couple of months in the lives of four young people: Bernie, Joan, Danny and Deborah. This early script was, for its time (pre-Aids), a cutting edge insanity about the sexual experiments of the the 70s. According to Denver acting coach, Bill Smith, "The writing is brilliant, [but] the subject matter and point of view is despicable." :KLFKRIKLVSOD\VKDVZRQWKH3XOLW]HU3UL]H" *HOQJDUU\*OHQ5RVV (1984), a "comic drama" about the cutthroat competition between real estate agents in the same agency. :KDWLVWKHSULPDU\FRQFHSWRIWKHDEVXUGLVWWKHDWUH" There are no fixed standards of conduct, no verifiable moral codes. Each person must choose his own set of values and live by his choice. To live by the conventions of others is the response of a robot, not the act of a human. Most, probably all, absurdist plays are unconventional. The stage directions for Samuel Beckett's (1906-1989) %UHDWK (1969) occupy a single page and take longer to read than to perform (35 seconds). A stage strewn with debris becomes visible in a light that starts faint, becomes less faint, then fades to black. Simultaneously the audience hears a faint cry, what Beckett calls an "instant of recorded vagitus," then the sound of a human breath, followed by another faint cry, the lights fade and the curtain falls. :KRDUHLWVWZRPDMRUSOD\ZULJKWV":KHUHGLGWKH\ZULWH":KHQ" Eugene Ionesco (1912-1994) and Samuel Beckett. Ionesco was from Romania and Beckett was from Ireland, but both lived and wrote in Paris during the 1950's. :KDWLVWKHPDVWHUSLHFHRIDEVXUGLVP" Samuel Beckett's :DLWLQJIRU*RGRW (1952). See the play synopsis on page 350. The objective, or VSLQH, of Beckett's masterpiece is the plays title. Unlike the 19th century well-made play in which the hero had a strong objective ( For example: To find true love) and, in the course of three acts, overcomes all obstacles to achieve it, the absurdist play often demonstrates the futility of conventional pursuit. As the characters deal with each moment-to-moment, the play unfolds almost as a parody of the conventional three-act structure with it's beginning, middle and end. :KRZDVWKHPDMRU$PHULFDQDEVXUGLVWSOD\ZULJKW"'RHVKHVWLOOZULWHLQ WKLVVW\OH" Edward Albee (1928- ). He no longer writes absurdist dramas. His early plays "The Zoo Story" (1959) and "The American Dream" (1960) were short one act comedies patterned after Ionesco. In the late 50's, his first major work, "The Zoo Story," was rejected by every major American theatre company. It was not until after it had a successful, and critically acclaimed, German production that an American company was willing to present it. :KDWZDVKLVILUVWPDMRUQRQDEVXUGLVWSOD\" :KR V$IUDLGRI9LUJLQLD:RROI (1962). +RZPDQ\3XOLW]HU3UL]HVKDVKHZRQ" Three -- $'HOLFDWH%DODQFH (1967), 6HDVFDSH (1975), and 7KUHH7DOO :RPHQ (1994). The American Musical | Theatre Home Page E-mail questions and comments to Larry Wild at [email protected]. Last updated: December 9, 2003 Copyright © 1995-2003 by Larry Wild, Northern State University, Aberdeen, SD 57401 0RGHUQ7KHDWUH WR 7KH$PHULFDQ0XVLFDO 5HVRXUFHV 7H[W Wilson and Goldfarb. 7KHDWHU 7KH/LYHO\$UW, 4th edition: Chapter 15, pages 356 - 361. 3OD\V William S. Gilbert and Sir Author Sullivan. 7KH+063LQDIRUH Rodgers and Hammerstein. 2NODKRPD, 6RXWK3DFLILF Sigmond Romberg. 7KH'HVHUW6RQJ Andrew Lloyd Webber. 3KDQWRPRIWKH2SHUD ,QWHUQHW Gilbert and Sullivan Archive Home Page :KDWGRPDQ\FRQVLGHU$PHULFD VRQO\FRQWULEXWLRQWRZRUOGWKHDWUH" The book musical. :KDWLVWKHQRUPDOUXQQLQJWLPH" Between 2 1/2 and 3 hours. :KDWLVWKHVWDQGDUGFRQIOLFW" Boy meets Girl. Boy looses Girl. Boy gets Girl back. :KLFKVWUXFWXUDOSDWWHUQFOLPDFWLFRUHSLVRGLFLVXVHGWRUHYHDOWKHSORW" Episodic. :K\DUHPDQ\PXVLFDOVDGDSWHGIURPRWKHUZRUNV" A book musical is an expensive and difficult undertaking. Most producers would like to start with an already established work, one where another writer (playwright, novelist) has created the plot and major characters. Many, perhaps most, musicals began as plays: 2NODKRPD (1943), &DURXVHO (1945), 7KH.LQJDQG, (1951). 0\)DLU /DG\ (1956), +HOOR'ROO\ (1964), 0DPH (1966). Some, like 6RXWK 3DFLILF (1949) and )LGGOHURQWKH5RRI (1964) are based on books. A few, like 7KH6RXQGRI0XVLF (1949) and 7KH8QVLQNDEOH0ROO\ %URZQ (1960), are biographical. /LWWOH$EQHU (1956), :KDWLVWKHERRNRIDPXVLFDO" The dialogue between the songs. :KRFUHDWHVWKHVFRUHDQGO\ULFV" The VFRUH is written by the composer, the O\ULFV by the lyricist. :KDWWKUHHPDMRUIRUFHVOHGWRWKHGHYHORSPHQWRIWKHPRGHUQ$PHULFDQ PXVLFDO" The European operetta, The English comic opera, and The American musical extravaganza. :KDWLVDQRSHUHWWD" A little opera. Instead of recitative, spoken dialogue is used to advance the plot and develop the characters. :KHQZDVWKHRSHUHWWDSRSXODURQWKH1HZ Roughly between the outbreak of World War I (1914) and the Stockmarket crash of 1929. :KRDUHWKHPDMRU$PHULFDQFRPSRVHUVRIRSHUHWWD"/LVWWKHWLWOHRIRQHRI WKHLUPDMRUZRUNV Victor Herbert (1859-1924): %DEHVLQ7R\ODQG (1903), Rudolf Frimil (1879-1972): 5RVH0DULH (1924), and Sigmond Romberg (1887-1951): 7KH'HVHUW6RQJ (1926). :KDWLVWKHVWUHQJWKRIDQRSHUHWWD VSORW" The plots are romantic and often very weak. Their primary purpose is to tie the songs together and give the characters a reason to sing. ,WVVFRUH" The scores are lush. Today people remember the music from shows like 5RVH0DULH and 7KH'HVHUW6RQJ, not the story line. When these operettas are professionally revised today, the book is often rewritten (with the approval of the copyright owner) but the music (including orchestrations) is usually left intact. :KRZHUH:LOOLDP6*LOEHUWDQG6LU$UWKXU6XOOLYDQ" The leading 19th century writer and composer of English comic opera. :KLFKZURWHWKHPXVLF" Sir Arthur Sullivan (1842-1900). 7KHO\ULFV" William S. Gilbert (1836-1911). 1DPHWKUHHZRUNVZKLFKDUHVWLOOIUHTXHQWO\UHYLYHG Of the fourteen comic operas written between 1871 and 1896, 7KH 0LNDGR (1885), +063LQDIRUH (1878), and 7KH3LUDWHVRI 3HQ]DQFH (1880) are probably the most often revived: :KDWLVWKHLPSRUWDQFHRI7KH%ODFN&URRN" Many consider this extravaganza America's first musical. :KHUHZDVLWILUVWSUHVHQWHG" New York City :KHQ" 1866 +RZGLGLWFRPHDERXW" The manager of Niblo's Garden (a theatre) was staging 7KH%ODFN &URRN. a melodrama based on the Faust legend. A French ballet company was to perform at the Academy of Music (also a theatre). The ballet company's theatre (and scenery) burned to the ground. The manager of Niblo's Garden added the French ballet dancers (who were shockingly dressed in flesh pink tights) to his Faustian melodrama producing New York's first musical extravaganza. The original run of the show was 474 performances. According to one source, 7KH%ODFN&URRN was revived at least once a year for the next thirty years. This story was the inspiration for Sigmond Romberg's 7KH*LUOLQ 3LQN7LJKWV (1954). :KDW$PHULFDQVRQJDQGGDQFHPDQZDVERUQRQWKH)RXUWKRI-XO\" George M. Cohan (1878-1942). :KHQZHUHKLVILYHPDMRUPXVLFDOVILUVWVWDJHGRQ%URDGZD\" Between 1904 and 1914. :KRSOD\HGWKHOHDGUROHVLQHDFKRIWKHVHVKRZV" George M. Cohan. He also directed all of his shows. :KDWRWKHUZRUNVGLGKHSHUIRUPLQ" He acted in several non-Cohen productions. He played the father in the original production of O'Neill's only comedy, $K:LOGHUQHVV (1933); as well as creating the role of FDR in the New York production of Rodgers and Hart's , G5DWKHU%H5LJKW (1937). :K\DUHKLVPXVLFDOVQRORQJHUSUHVHQWHG" Often when a show closed during the first decades of this century, the scripts and scores for the production were not saved. The books and orchestrations for Cohen's five major musicals have long since disappeared. The only music we have, are for those songs which were published for the "home singer." :KDWDZDUGGLGKHUHFHLYHIURP3UHVLGHQW5RRVHYHOWLQ " The &RQJUHVVLRQDO3DWULRWLF6HUYLFH0HGDO for composing "You're a Grand Old Flag," and "Over There." :KDW ILOPLVEDVHGRQKLVOLIH" :KDWZDVWKHILUVWPXVLFDOWRZLQWKH3XOLW]HU3UL]HIRUGUDPD" George (music) and Ira (lyrics) Gershwin's 2I7KHH,6LQJ (1931). The book for this musical satire on the American political system was written by Morrie Ryskind and George S. Kaufman. :KDWRWKHU$PHULFDQPXVLFDOVKDYHZRQWKH3XOLW]HUSUL]H" 6RXWK3DFLILF (1949), )LRUHOOR (1959), +RZ7R6XFFHHG,Q%XVLQHVV :LWKRXW5HDOO\7U\LQJ (1961), &KRUXV/LQH (1975), 6XQGD\LQWKH 3DUNZLWK*HRUJH (1984), and 5HQW (1996). :KDWZDV5RGJHUVDQG+DPPHUVWHLQ VILUVWPXVLFDO" 2NODKRPD (1943). :K\LVLWFRQVLGHUHGDPLOHVWRQH" Up until 2NODKRPD, most musicals opened with a large chorus number. When the curtain went up on R&H's first show, the stage was bare except for a little old lady (Aunt Eller) sitting in a rocking chair on the porch churning butter. The opening notes of the first number, Curley's "Oh What a Beautiful Morning" are sung off stage. It was also the first "musical comedy" to have a death scene on stage and it introduced the concept of a "dream ballet" to an American audience. +RZORQJGLGLWUXQLQ1HZ 5 years, 4 months (2,212 performances). 2NODKRPD had the longest Broadway run of the nine R&H musicals. The future success of this show was not obvious. During the original production's try out tour, columnist Walter Winchell's secretary, after seeing a performance (then titled $ZD\:H*R) in New Haven wired back to her boss "No legs, no girls, no way!" In Boston, Rodgers and Hammerstein added a choral section to the second act ode to the state of Oklahoma. When first performed, the audience gave the cast a standing ovation and demanded three encores. Legend has it that the next day $ZD\ :H*R became 2NODKRPD. The show opened in New York on March 31, 1943. Because of the draft and injuries sustained by several of the dancers, that company only performed on Broadway once, on opening night. According to the Rodgers and Hammerstein Library, approximately 700 production of 2NODKRPD are licensed each year. There isn't a night somewhere, when someone isn't singing "Oh What a Beautiful Morning." :KDWZDVWKHLUODVWVKRZ" 7KH6RXQGRI0XVLF (1959) starring Mary Martin as Maria von Trapp. +RZPDQ\PXVLFDOVGLGWKH\ZULWH" Nine. +RZPDQ\UDQORQJHUWKDQRQH\HDU" Five. 2NODKRPD (1943), &DURXVHO (1945), 6RXWK3DFLILF (1949), 7KH .LQJDQG, (1951) and 7KH6RXQGRI0XVLF (1959). :KDWZDVWKHILUVWPXVLFDOWRLQFOXGHDEDOOHWVHTXHQFH" Rodgers and Hart's 2Q :KDWPXVLFDOZDVWKHILUVWWRXVHWKHEDOOHWVHTXHQFHWRDGYDQFHWKHSORW" 2NODKRPD. The dream ballet at the end of the first act fore shadows the dramatic conflict between the two lovers: Curly and Laury, and the villain: Jud. :KDWZDVWKHILUVWPXVLFDOWRIXOO\LQWHJUDWHGDQFHPXVLFDQGGLDORJXH" :HVW6LGH6WRU\ (1956) by Leonard Bernstein (music) and Stephen Sondheim (lyrics) 2QZKLFK6KDNHVSHDUHDQSOD\LVLWEDVHG" 5RPHRDQG-XOLHW. In :HVW6LGH6WRU\, Jerome Robbins, the director, moved the setting of Shakespeare's play from Verona to the west side slums of New York, up dated it to 1956, and turned the two noble families into two street gangs: the Sharks and the Jets. :KRLVWKHUHLJQLQJJHQLXVRIWRGD\ V$PHULFDQPXVLFDOWKHDWUH" Stephen Sondheim (1930- ) :KDWZDVKLVILUVWPDMRU%URDGZD\ZRUN" In 1956 he wrote the lyrics for Leonard Bernstein's music in :HVW 6LGH6WRU\. Sondheim, who received his early training from Oscar Hammerstein II, began his career as a lyricist, not a composer :KDWZDVWKHILUVW%URDGZD\PXVLFDOIRUZKLFKKHZURWHERWKWKHPXVLF DQGO\ULFV" $)XQQ\7KLQJ+DSSHQHGRQWKH:D\WRWKH)RUXP (1962) starring Zero Mostel. The book, by Larry Gelbart (1928- ), adapted the characters and common plot characteristics from Plautus's Roman comedies. Since 1962, twelve musicals from the pen of Stephen Sondheim have played on Broadway. )RUZKDWVKRZGLG6RQGKHLPZLQWKH3XOLW]HU3UL]H" 6XQGD\LQWKH3DUNZLWK*HRUJH (1985). A musical framed in Georges Seurat's (1859-1891) famous neoimpressionistic painting: 6XQGD\2Q7KH,VODQG2I/D*UDQGH-DWWH (1884-86, Chicago Art Institute). :KLFK(QJOLVKFRPSRVHU VPXVLFDOVKDYHGRPLQDWHGERWK/RQGRQ V:HVW (QGDVZHOOWKH%URDGZD\VWDJH" Andrew Lloyd Webber (1948- ) :KDWZDVKLVILUVWVKRZWRUHDFK1HZ -HVXV&KULVW6XSHUVWDU (1971). :KLFKRIKLVVKRZVLVFXUUHQWO\SOD\LQJRQ%URDGZD\" 3KDQWRPRIWKH2SHUD, which won the 1988 7RQ\ for the years Best Musical. Theatre Home Page E-mail questions and comments to Larry Wild at [email protected]. Last updated: August 29, 2003 © 1995-2003 by Larry Wild, Northern State University, Aberdeen, SD 57401 6DPSOH4XHVWLRQVIRUWKH)LUVW4XL] 1. An action, or series of actions, taken for the entertainment or involvement of an audience is a ___ (A. Drama B. Performance C. Tragedy). 2. A literary analysis of the script of a play is a study of the ___ (A. Drama B. Theatre) 3. According to Eric Bentley, the three essential ingredience of a theatrical experience are ___ (A. Actor, Audience, Theatre B. Actor, Director, Script C. Actor, Audience, Character). 4. True or False? ___. According to Wilson and Goldfarb, the television series (YHU\ERG\/RYHV5D\PRQG, which is filmed before a live audience, is only a theatrical event for those in the studio audience. 5. ___ (A. Illusion B. Delusion C. Reality) is the standard reaction of a children's audience--they believe what is happening on stage is real, but they are only innocent bystanders, hence not involved. 6. ___ (A. Aesthetic distance B. Empathy) is the aesthetic force which tells the audience what is happening on stage is not real, but only "play acting." 7. A journalist's review is usually ___ (A. A brief reaction to a performance B. A critical analysis of the drama C. A detailed study of the play's history). 8. Dramatic criticism is generally ___ (A. Published in the newspaper B. Printed in a scholarly journal C. Presented on the 10 O'clock news). 9. An actor's instrument is his/her ___ (A. Voice B. Body C. Self). 10. The three stages of an actor's routine are ___ (A. Make-up, costume, and hair design. B. Voice, body, and facial expressions. C. Auditioning, rehearsing, and performing). 11. Which of the following does the director QRW look for in an audition? ___ (A. Naturalness of delivery B. Physical suitability for the part C. Ability to memorize lines). 12. Performance technique, or the ability to "read" an audience, ___ (A. Is learned B. Is instinctive C. Is instinctive, but can be improved through study). 13. In the ___ (A. External B. Internal) approach to acting the character grows from within the actor. 14. Stanislavski, although best known as an actor, was also a ___ (A. Designer B. Director C. Manager) with the Moscow Art Theatre. 15. ___ (A. Marlon Brando B. Karl Malden C. Lee J. Cobb) who created the role of Stanley Kowalski in Tennessee William's 6WUHHWFDU1DPHG'HVLUH is today considered one of America's leading method actor. 16. The director directs all of the following except the ___ (A. Actors B. Designers C. Producer) 17. The directing process encompasses two phases: ___(A. Selection and implementation B. Reading and acting C. Collecting money and allocating funds). 18. Directing, as a creative dramatic art, ___ (A. Is about a hundred years old B. Has existed since the beginning of Greek theatre C. Was developed by the Elizabethans). 19. The chorus in a commercial Broadway musical is usually cast through ___ (A. Open B. Closed) auditions. 20. The average rehearsal period for an educational or community theatre production is ___ (A. 3 B. 5 C. 9) weeks. 21. A ___ (A. Creative B. Interpretative C. Artistic) director will often change the location and period of a script. 22. "The Great White Way" refers to ___ (A. Las Vegas B. Broadway C. Hollywood). 23. Which of the following is not true of the difference between Broadway and its "off" variants? ___ (A. Off-Broadway is less expensive than Broadway B. Some of the most creative work in American theatre is presented Off-Broadway C. Off- Broadway houses are nearly as large as Broadway theatres). 24. ___ (A. Off-Broadway B. Summer stock C. Regional) theatres are often located in resort areas and provide entertainment for tourists. 25. In the ___ (A. Long run B. Limited run C. Repertory) system of production, a different work may be performed each night. 26. The current ticket price for a weekend orchestra seat at a broadway musical is about ___ (A. $ 75 B. $ 100 C. $150). 27. The theatre program at Northern State is a(n) ___ (A. Co-curricular B. Extra- curricular C. Professionally oriented) program. 28. The development of the ___ (A. Thrust stage B. Arena C. Indoor proscenium) theatre fostered the great period of scenic design. 29. The ___ (A. Proscenium B. Thrust stage C. Arena stage) theatre has the greatest aesthetic distance because this theatrical form has the greatest separation between the actor and the audience. 30. Aberdeen's Capitol Theatre is an excellent example of a ___ (A. Proscenium B. Thrust stage C. Arena stage) theatre. 31. The costumes and props which are used in a ___ (A. Proscenium B. Thrust stage C. Arena stage) do not have to be very detailed because the closest members of the audience may be 30 feet from the stage. 32. The side, or sectional view of a modern proscenium theatre often looks like a tipped over ___ (A. "H" B. "L" C. "J"). 33. The first people to use a thrust stage theatre were the ___ (A. Greeks B. English C. Germans). 34. A piece of canvas stretched over a wood frame and painted to imitate a wall is a ___ (A. Drop B. Cyclorama D. Flat). 35. A scene designer ___ (A. Builds and paints the set B. Drafts the blue prints used by the crew to build and paint the set C. Develops the image). 36. A ___ (A. Ground plan B. Front elevation C. Rendering) is a top view of the set on stage, as it will appear on opening night. 37. The action-documentaton-metaphor approach to design was developed by ___ (A. Robert Edmond Jones B. Mordecai Gorelik C. Edwin Wilson). 38. ___ (A. Representationalism B. Presentationalism) is the theatrical style which says "Theatre is not real, only an actor on a platform." 39. The father of American scene design is ___ (A. Mordecai Gorelik B. James Earl Jones C. Robert Edmond Jones). 40. The ___ (A. Set B. Costume C. Lighting) designer, through his creative work, tells the audience the social and economic rank of each character in a play. 41. The design element of ___ (A. Shape B. Color C. Texture) is normally used by the costume designer to establish the social and economic strata of each character. 42. The costumes for the servants in a Shakespearean comedy, presented by a small academic or community theatre, would probably be ___ (A. Borrowed B. Rented C. Constructed). 43. True or False? ___ A historical museum is a good source for period (19th century) costumes. 44. A ___ (A. Costume chart B. Costume plate C. Costume pattern) is the drawing which shows which characters work the stage together. 45. Electric stage lighting was introduced into the English theatre in ___ (A. 1864 B. 1881 C. 1901). 46. Focus and form are both ___ (A. Functions B. Controllable properties) of light. 47. A __ (A. Flood B. Spot) light is normally used to light the scenery. 48. The lighting control board should be located ___ (A. Backstage B. In the back of the auditorium). 49. The ___ (A. Hook-up chart B. Cue sheet C. Magic sheet) is the chart which tells the light crew the intensity of each dimmer for each lighting composition in a show. 50. Sound reinforcement, the amplification of the performer's voice, is most commonly used in a ___ (A. Comedy B. Opera C. Musical). Theatre Home Page E-mail questions and comments to Larry Wild at [email protected]. Posted: August 23, 2003 © 2003 by Larry Wild, Northern State University 6DPSOH4XHVWLRQVIRUWKH6HFRQG4XL] 1. "Genre" means ___ (A. Category or kind B. Origin or birth C. A work that can be performed). 2. According to Aristotle, every play should ___(A. Have a beginning, middle, and end B. Have a prologue and an epilogue C. Begin with a soliloquy that is questioned by the chorus). Identify the following by dramatic genre. (A. Tragedy B. Farce C. Comedy D. Melodrama)... 3. The hero overcomes the obstacle, hence achieving his major objective 4. The hero is overcome by the dramatic obstacle, hence going down in defeat 5. A wildly humorous play where the humor is often brought about thru a major misunderstanding between the characters. 6. The six elements of dramatic structure were developed in 355 BC by ___ (A. Aristotle B. Sophocles C. Thespis). 7. The ___ ( A. Theme B. Concept C. Plot ) is how a story is presented on stage by the playwright. 8. In a climatic plot, such as Sophocles' 2HGLSXVWKH.LQJ, the plot begins near the ___ (A. Beginning B. Middle C. End) of the story. 9. A character's spine is his ___ (A. Age B. Social/Economic class C. Major goal or objective). 10. If the pace of a performance is too ___ (A. Fast B. Slow), the audience will become restless and soon lose interest. 11. ___(A. Stage directions B. Script notes C. Dialogue) is a playwright's major means of expression. 12. The core of every drama is ___ (A. Character B. Action C. Theme). 13. True or False? ___. Only a few playwrights build their scripts on their own, or their families' personal experiences. 14. True or False? ___. An original script is seldom revised during the rehearsal process. 15. A ___ (A. Story B. Treatment C. Scenario) is the plot outline developed by the playwright before he begins to "write the play." 16. The playwright in the live American theatre receives for the use of his script ___ (A. A single large payment from the producer B. A percentage of the box office gross C. The box office gross from the third performance). 17. As for as the playwright is concerned, a work is in performance ___ (A. Any time there is an audience B. Only when there is a paying audience C. Any time after the fifth week of rehearsal). 18. The scripts for most television shows are written ___ (A. On spec B. On order). 19. A new script sent to directly to a Broadway producer will normally be ___ (A. Not returned B. Returned unopened C. Read by an assistant). 20. Many believe the first Nickelodeon, ___ (A. An ornate movie palace B. A converted theatre C. A store front movie house) opened in McKeesport PA in 1903. 21. Most consider Edwin Porter's ___ (A. %LUWKRID1DWLRQ B. 7KH*UHDW7UDLQ5REEHU\ C. *RQH:LWK7KH:LQG), as the first American movie with a plot. 22. In 1900, the home of the American film industry was in ___ (A. California B. New York C. Arizona). 23. In the earliest sound movies, the sound track was recorded on ___ (A. Phonograph record B. Film C. Tape). 24. ___ (A. 7LWDQLF B. (7 C. 6WDU:DUV) is the American film which holds the distinction of generating the highest domestic box office gross. 25. True or False? ___. Both Cinerama and CinemaScope attempted to pull the audience into the action by "surrounding" the audience with picture. 26. Most Hollywood theatrical films are produced for a ___ (A. Children B. Teenage C. Adult) audience. 27. True or False? ___. New York's Roxy Theatre and Aberdeen's Orpheum theatre shared a common fate, both were torn down. 28. True or False? ___. Like the theatrical playwright, the screen writer has complete control over every line of dialogue spoken. 29. A/n ___ (A. Master B. Establishing C. Process) shot is traditionally used to give the location of the film's action. 30. In order to produce enough coverage, a simple dialogue scene will be shot from ___ (A. 1 B. 2 C. 5) different camera positions. 31. A film week is normally ___ (A. 4 B. 5 C. 6 ) days out of seven. 32. An hour filmed dramatic TV show, such as &6,, is normally shot in ___ (A. 1 to 2 B. 3 to 4 C. 7 to 8) days. 33. The sound of an actor's foot steps is recorded on the ___ (A. Effects B. Ambiance C. Foley) sound track. 34. Many films appear in Sioux Falls or Rapid City before they are shown in Aberdeen because ___ (A. They have a larger potential audience B. They are on the inter state C. There is more competition). 35. ___ (A. Lee Deforest B. Guglielmo Marconi C. David Sarnoff) is credited with developing "wireless telegraphy." 36. The first people to exploit the "wireless" were ___ (A. Performers B. Sea men C. Railroad men) 37. ___ (A. KDKA B. KGKK C. KBAK), which went on the air in November 1920 is considered America's first commercial radio station. 38. This station was located in ___ (A. New York B. Boston C. Pittsburgh). 39. A ___ (A. Series B. Serial C. Anthology), is the type of program which has both a continuing set of characters and a continuing, never ending, plot line. 40. True or False? ___. One of the functions of music on a radio program was to indicate a change of setting. 41. Some believe that because he was only a voice ___ (A. The Lone Ranger B. The Shadow C. The Voice) was the perfect radio hero. 42. The Golden Age of Radio Drama ended in ___ (A. 1941 B. 1953 C. 1968). 43. A half-hour dramatic radio program was normally produced in ___ (A. One B. Three C. Five) day/s. 44. Most of the programs during television's early years, 1948 to l956, were ___ (A. Broadcast live from New York City B. Filmed in Los Angeles C. Prerecorded on video tape). 45. Television's first superstar was ___ (A. Jack Benny B. Milton Berle C. Lucille Ball). 46. True or False? ___ . Most early television shows were first broadcast on the radio. 47. Today a television network will normally order ___ (A. 12 B. 22 C. 36) episodes per season. 48. In an hour long prime time show, there is ___ (A. 30 B. 45 C. 56) minutes of entertainment. 49. One of the four sweeps months is ___ (A. January B. March C. November). 50. Television's longest running prime-time dramatic series is ___ (A. ,/RYH/XF\ B. *XQVPRNH C. 'DOODV). Theatre Home Page E-mail questions and comments to Larry Wild at [email protected]. Posted: August 23, 2003 © 2003 by Larry Wild, Northern State University 6DPSOH4XHVWLRQVIRUWKH7KLUG4XL] 1. When theatre historians speak of the "Greek theatre" they are referring to the theatre of __ (A. Athens in the fifth century. B. Athens and Sparta from the fourth to the third century BC C. Rome in the first century, BC). 2. ___ (A. Prophecy B. Irony C. Metaphor) is the dramatic device used to offer revelations about the future. 3. The Greek tragedies of Sophocles have no more than ___ (A. 2 B. 3 C. 5) characters on stage at one time. 4. Of the three major Greek tragic playwrights, ___ (A. Aeschylus B. Sophocles C. Euripides) is generally considered by modern critics to be the greatest. 5. The circular playing area on which the Greek chorus performed was called the ___ (A. Stage B. Orchestra C. Pit). 6. In ___ (A. 0HGHD B. 7URMDQ:RPHQ C. /\VLVWUDWD) by Aristophanies, the women of Sparta and Troy stop a needless war by denying sex to their husbands and lovers. 7. One of Plautus's characters, Miles Gloriosus, was the ___ (A. Evil twin B. Braggart soldier C. Long-suffering and faithful husband). 8. The Roman comedies of Plautus were based on the Greek comedies of ___ (A. Thespis B. Menander C. Verdi). 9. Seneca's tragedies were a major influence on the work of ___ (A. Shakespeare B. Moliere C. Tennessee Williams). 10. True or False? ___. The Roman theatre was an adaption of the Greek theatre. 11. There were ___ (A. Two B. Five C. Nine) entrances onto the stage of a typical Roman theatre. 12. The last recorded performance on a Roman stage took place during the ___ (A. First B. Sixth C. Twelfth) century. 13. "The Middle Ages" describes the period of history between the ___ (A. Sacking of Constantinople and the building of Chartres cathedral B. Fall of Rome and the beginning of the Renaissance C. First Crusade and the invention of the printing press). 14. The "Hellmouth" was ___ (A. Drawn on the wall of the pageant wagon B. A set piece designed to "swallow" sinners C. The central theme of the 7KH)DOO). 15. The contemporary analogy to the rolling procession of the English cycle plays may be found in the ___ (A. Half-time show at a football game B. Rose Bowl Parade C. Rodeo). 16. 4XHPTXHULWDV means: ___ (A. Where are you going? B. Whom seek you? C. Why do you exist?) 17. In the earliest medieval dramas, the women's parts were played by ___ (A. Priests B. Nuns C. Apprentices). 18. Characters with names like Death, Lust, and Gluttony would most likely be found in a medieval ___ (A. Mystery B. Miracle C. Morality) play. 19. When the Mystery Plays were performed outdoors in the town square, they were often presented by the ___(A. Trade guilds B. City council C. Local merchants). 20. When they were presented in England, they were often staged on/in ___ (A. Movable wagons B. Carrier inns C. Professional theatres). 21. The French and English courts of the Renaissance were composed of the ___ (A. Landed nobility B. Newly rich C. King's family). 22. The farcical comedies of ___ (A. Aristophanes B. Moliere C. Plautus) were heavily influenced by the comedies of the &RPPHGLDGHOO $UWH 23. True or False? ___ Like the Elizabethan acting company, members of an Italian Commedia company shared in their company's profits and losses. 24. It is believed by many that the earliest (around 1600) operas placed most of the emphasis on the ___ (A. Music B. Drama C. Staging). 25. $LGD was commisioned by the ___ (A. Egyptians B. Italians C. English) for the opening of the Cairo opera house. 26. The ___ (A. Aria B. Recitative C. Dialogue) is the "dramatic dialogue" of an opera which is used to advance the plot. 27. ___(A. Verdi B. Monteverdi C. Puccini), is the most often produced composer on the stage of the Metropolitan Opera. 28. The 7HDWUR)DUQHVH, built in Parma in 1618, is considered the first ___ (A. Permanent Italian theatre B. Italian opera house C. Proscenium theatre). 29. True or False? ___ Italian Rennaissance architects were one of the first to publish stagecraft "how to" books. 30. True or False? ___ All of Serlio's designs were exterior scenes. 31. The Renaissance was characterized by ___ (A. A renewed interest in classical civilization B. The vigorous revival of monastic scholasticism C. A celebration of Oriental cultures). 32. True or False? ___ The U shaped courtyard of an Elizabethan carrier inn, combined with its two- or three-story height, made it a natural performance space. 33. "Blank verse" is ___ (A. Unrhymed iambic pentameter B. Rhymed iambic pentameter C. Prose). 34. ___(A. 7KH6SDQLVK7UDJHG\ B. *RUERGXF C. 'RFWRU)DXVWXV), by Sacksville and Norton, is generally considered the first true English tragedy. Identify the following Shakespearean plays by type: A. Tragedy B. Comedy C. History 35. 7DPLQJRIWKH6KUHZ 36. +HQU\,93DUW 37. +DPOHW 38. Shakespeare was the resident playwright for ___ (A. Prince Hal's Men B. The Lord Admiral's Men C. The King's Men). 39. The ___(A. Good B. Bad) quartos were those published plays which were based on Shakespeare's hand written manuscript. 40. Blackfriar's, a ___ (A. Public B. Private) theatre, was the indoor theatre used as the winter home of the King's Men. 41. True or False? ___ Three years after Moliere retired from the stage, he died at his country estate, and was buried in Paris. 42. In the neoclassical era, Shakespeare was seen as ___ (A. A brilliant playwright B. Somewhat primitive C. The epitome of all drama). 43. Built for Cardinal Richelieu, the ___ (A. Paris Opera House B. Theatre Moliere C. Palais Royale) was Moliere's theatrical home for most of his career. 44. The ___(A. &RPPHGLD)UDQFLVH B. /D7KHDWUH1DWLRQDOOH C. /D7KHDWUH GD)UDQFLVH) is considered Europe's first national theatre. 45. Today it primarily produces the plays of ___ (A. Moliere and Racine B. Shakespeare and Marlowe C. Sophocles and Aristophanes) 46. According to the neo-classical rules a tragedy should be written in ___ (A. Prose B. Poetry). IDENTIFY THE FOLLOWING PLAYS OR PLAYWRIGHT'S BY PERIOD. A. Greek B. Roman C.Medieval D. Elizabethan E. French Rennaisance 47. 7DUWXIIH 48. William Shakespeare 49. 7KH Theatre Home Page E-mail questions and comments to Larry Wild at [email protected]. Posted: August 23, 2003 © 2003 by Larry Wild, Northern State University 6DPSOH4XHVWLRQVIRUWKH)RXUWK4XL] 1. During which period were theatrical performances banned and English playhouses burned to the ground? ___ (A. The American Revolution B. The reign of Elizabeth I C. The English Civil war - 1642 to 1660). 2. The great masterpiece of Restoration comedy is ___ (A. William Shakespeare's 7DPLQJRIWKH6KUHZ B. William Congreve's 7KH:D\RIWKH:RUOG. C. John Gay's 7KH%HJJDU V2SHUD.) 3. 6FKRROIRU6FDQGDO, by ___, (A. Neil Simon B. Oliver Goldsmith C. Richard Sheridan) is the story of Lady Teazle's seduction by Sir Joseph Surface. 4. Between 1660 and 1843, there were only ___ (A. 2 B. 5 C. 7) legitimate theatres in London. 5. True or False? ___. London's legitimate theatres were also known as Patent theatres or Royal theatres. 6. John Dryden's climactic tragedy $OOIRU/RYH or, "A World Well Lost", is based on William Shakespeare's episodic tragedy: ___ (A. +DPOHW B. 5RPHRDQG-XOLHW C. $QWKRQ\DQG&OHRSDWUD) 7. True or False? ___. Women first appeared on the English stage during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. 8. Nell Gwynn, one of the most popular comic actress of the restoration was retired from the stage by her lover, ___ (A. Richard Sheridan B. King Charles II C. David Garrick). 9. Of the many 19th century plays which were adapted into operas, which dramatic form, the (A) drama or the (B) opera is still regularly performed today? ___. 10. During the 19th century, England produced no major Romantic playwrights, instead the company managers presented the 17th century dramas of ___ (A. Richard Sheridan B. William Shakespeare C. John Gay). 11. Victor Hugo's most famous work,___ (A. 3KDQWRPRIWKH2SHUD B. /HV0LVHUDEOH C. 'U-HN\OODQG0U+\GH), a novel, has been adapted into a long running Broadway musical. 12. James O'Neill, the actor father of American playwright Eugene O'Neill, performed the role of ___ (A. Cyrano De Bergerac B. Count of Monte Cristo C. William Tell) for over thirty years. 13. The /D'DPHDX[&DPpOLDV (also known as &DPLOOH) by ___(A. Victor Hugo B. Edmond Rostand C. Alexandre Dumas, fils) was adapted by Puccini into an opera. 14. Many theatre people believe ___ (A. )DXVW B. &DPLOOH C. &\UDQRGH%HUJHUDF) by Edmond Rostand is the best example of 19th century Romantic Drama. 15. The chase scene was usually the high point or climax of a 19th century ___(A. Comedy B. Melodrama C. Tragedy). 16. ___ (A. Sarah Bernhardt B. Henry Irving C. Andre Antoine) was QRW a theatrical star during the 19th century. 17. True or False? ___. During the early part of the l9th century, the traveling star would not rehearse with the local acting company for more than an hour or two before the show was presented before an audience. 18. In an ensemble production, there are no ___ (A. Actors B. Major roles C. Stars). 19. One of the convention of the realistic theatre was that dialogue ___ (A. Was conversation B. Revealed philosophical truths C. Symbolized abstract ideals). 20. The problem in a realistic "problem" play refers to ___ (A. An aesthetic problem B. A social problem C. A theatrical problem). 21. True or False?_____. Realistic playwright's like Henrik Ibsen believed that the stage should be a laboratory where life could be examined. 22. Many believe that the concept of the all powerful, omnipotent director began with ___ (A. Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe B. George Frederick Handel C. Richard Wagner), the 19th century German opera composer. 23. During most of the 19th century, the actor on stage was lit with ___ (A. Candle light B. Gas light C. Electric light) 24. Most modern critics agree that ___ (A. Eugene O'Neill B. Henrik Ibsen C. Arthur Miller) is the "father" of realistic drama. 25. ___ (A. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe B. Georg, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen C. Richard Wagner) was the German director who toured Europe with realistic productions of -XOLXV&DHVDU and :LOOLDP7HOO. 26. Andre Antoine's 7KHDWUH/LEUH was Europe's first ___ (A. Community theatre B. National theatre C. Arena theatre). 27. True or False? ___ One of the major criticism of Eugene O'Neill's writing is that his plays are too long. 28. True or False? ___. The symbolists major impact on western theatre was felt not by the playwright, but by the designer. 29. ___ (A. Adolph Appia B. Edward Gordon Craig C. Robert Edmond Jones) was the symbolist designer who developed the theory of modern lighting design. 30. True or False? ___. Expressionism is much easier to achieve in films or television, than it is on the live stage. 31. In ___ (A. 7KH0HUFKDQWRI 38. 7KH*ODVV0HQDJHULH 39. %ULJKWHQ%HDFK0HPRLUV 40. /RQJ'D\ V-RXUQH\LQWR1LJKW 41. ___ (A. Stephen Sondheim B. Peter Brook C. Peter Shaffer) made his first mark on the American musical with his lyrics for Leonard Bernstein's :HVW6LGH6WRU\ 42. The running time of a "traditional" musical, such as 2NODKRPD is usually ___ (A. Less than 2 hours B. Between 2 and 3 hours C. Over 3 hours.) 43. True or False? ___. Only a few musicals are truly original, most draw their plots and characters from other sources. 44. True or False? ___. The composer of a Broadway show, when writing the music, shapes the melodies to the vocal abilities of the original Broadway cast. 45. American operettas are primarily remembered today for their ___ (A. Well developed plots B. Interesting characters C. Lush melodies). 46. The first American musical to win the Pulitzer Prize for Drama was George and Ira Gershwin's ___ (A. 6KRZ%RDW B. 2I7KHH,6LQJ C. /RYHLV6ZHHSLQJWKH&RXQWU\). 47. 2NODKRPD, which opened in New York in 1943, was ___ (A. Lerner and Lowe's B. Rodgers and Hammerstein's C. Gilbert and Sullivan's) first musical. Identify the following works by genre (type). A: Tragedy B: Comedy C: Serious Drama D: Opera E: Musical (comedy). 48. LQWKH6KDGH 49. 2HGLSXV5H[ 50. $0LGVXPPHU1LJKW V'UHDP Theatre Home Page E-mail questions and comments to Larry Wild at [email protected]. Posted: August 23, 2003 © 2003 by Larry Wild, Northern State University